Deep Waters
by SpiritedChild
Summary: "And Regardless of what all has happened to bring us to this point, we're here now. I do not have any desire to leave." -Kyoya. Haruhi/Kyoya & Slight Haruhi/Tamaki. NOW COMPLETE
1. The Storm

**I'VE BEEN ACHING TO WRITE AN OHSHC STORY AND I'M FINALLY GONNA DO IT. I REALLY HOPE YOU ALL LIKE IT. MY FAMILY'S BEEN STAYING WITH MY GRANDMA FOR A WHILE AND I'VE BEEN REALLY BORED AND MY PASSION FOR THIS PARTICULAR ANIME IS BACK.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.**

_**PLOT: **__A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM CAUSES HARUHI'S APARTMENT TO FLOOD AND MAKES THE PLACE UNLIVABLE. WHEN KYOYA AND TAMAKI FIND OUT THAT HARUHI AND HER FATHER ARE LIVING AT A CHEAP MOTEL, THEY TRY TO HELP HER OUT, MUCH TO HARUHI'S CHAGRIN. AND WILL THE KINDNESS OF THESE TWO MAKE HER REALIZE HER FEELINGS FOR A PARTICULAR MEMBER OF THE HOST CLUB? _

General POV:

About a fifteen minute walk from the prestigious Ouran Academy was the home of the academy's scholar student, Haruhi Fugioka. The little brunette was snug in her bed. The storm that was currently happening had begun shortly after she fell asleep and it suprisingly didn't wake her up. Neither Haruhi nor her father, who was sleeping in the next room, were aware of the massive puddle of water that had slowly been growing after every rain so far that year on the roof of the apartment. Little did either of them know that the poorly made ceiling of the apartment was about to cave.

As a beam in the ceiling cracked under the pressure, the sound woke up Haruhi's father. Wide awake, he stared into the living room through his bedroom door that was slightly ajar. He could see little droplets of water hitting the floor. Sighing, he pushed back the covers and tiptoed towards the kitchen, trying not to wake his daughter. He had just put a bucket under the dripping spot when another loud crack could be heard from above. The startled man looked up and let out an ear splitting scream as the ceiling caved.

Haruhi's POV:

I was in a deep, comfortable sleep when a particularly loud scream jerked me awake. I instantly recognized the girlish but still masculine scream of my father and I bolted from my bed. As my feet hit the floor, I squealed as I realized I was ankle deep in water. "Dad!" I yelled but was given no reply.

I trudged towards the door and slid it open. There was a big gaping hole in the living room ceiling and there was about three or four inches of water covering the floor of the entire apartment. My eyes searched frantically for my father who I found laying face down amongst the pieces of wood in the water right under the hole in the ceiling.

"Dad!" I screamed again, suprising myself at how high pitched the scream was. I rushed for him and turned him face up. Pulling him away from the hole that was letting in a heavy rain, I used all my strength to lift him up onto the table. I put my ear to his chest. His heart was beating and he appeared to be breathing. The worst I saw was a busted lip and a black eye, but that didn't mean that the problems weren't worse than they seemed.

I spotted the cellphone Hikaru and Kaoru had given me last year sitting on the counter a few feet from the table. I climbed down from the table and grabbed the phone. Dialing the ambulence, I tapped my foot under the water while I waited for someone to pick up.

"911 emergencies, what is the nature of your call." a woman asked.

"The ceiling in my apartment caved from the rain and my father was hurt. He's unconcious and I don't know the full extent of his injuries." I said as calmly as I could.

"Is he breathing?" the woman asked professionally.

"Yes."

"Alright. We've tracked you through your phone. Find a high and dry place to wait. We'll send an ambulence over right away."

I thanked her and hung up the phone, slipping it into my pajama pocket before climbing up on the table to wait it out. As promised, the ambulence arrived almost right away. After loading us both into the back of the ambulence van, I was handed a towel to dry myself off a little. While my father was attended to by a couple of medical technicians, a middle aged woman sat next to me and patted my knee.

"He's gonna be fine sweetie. Don't worry. He's a little ruffed up and he might have a broken leg but other than that, he'll be right as rain in a little bit."

I breathed a sigh of relief and watched helplessly as my father groaned in his sleep after the male technician started proading and poking his leg. "Definately broken." he stated.

"Why is this guy wearing a red wig?" A female technician asked. "Is he a transvestite?"

"Yes and it's not a wig. It's his natural hair." I stated without a moment's hesitation.

The ambulence's occupants stared at me like I had three heads but no one pressed the matter further.

When we arrived at the hospital, the first thing I noticed as my father's stretcher was wheeled inside was that it was an Ootori hospital. I recognized the elogant letter 'O' above the doorway as we entered the building. I said a silent prayer that none of the host club were here for any reasons. They'd no doubt start pitying me and that was one thing I couldn't stand. I was told to wait in a chair right outside my father's hospital room while the doctors took x-rays and wrapped up his foot.

When the doctors finished, they told me he was sleeping and that I could watch over him if I wanted. I nodded and rushed inside, embarassed to be in the hall any longer in my old, stained t-shirt and plaid pajama bottoms. My father was sleeping peacfully when I entered. As silent as I could be, I sat in the chair by his bed and tried to get comfortable as I waited for him to wake up. After half an hour, I looked at the clock.

It was 5:56 in the morning. I also noticed that it had stopped raining. I said a silent prayer that the Ouran uniform hanging in my closet had escaped the water damage. If I wanted to be ready and at school on time, I'd have to leave to get ready by 6:15. Almost five minutes later, my sleeping man beside me finally opened his eyes. He groaned softly and smiled sheepishly.

"Haruhi. How's my girl?" he said softly, sounding like he was in pain.

"I'm fine dad." I said softly, trying not to cry because of how broken up he looked.

"The ceiling caved." he stated.

"I know."

"You got me to the hospital?"

"I called an ambulence."

"Thanks." He murmured and closed his eyes.

"Do you need to sleep now?" I asked, standing.

"I've still got some energy left in me. We can talk for a while."

"I actually need to get ready for school."

His eyes shot open and the firey look startled me. "I know you've taken a vow to never miss school but you just had your house severly damaged and your old man is in the hosital. You look shaken up and in dire need of a good night's sleep. I know you want to be responsible but you need to think of what's best for yourself every now and then. I think there's a five hundred yen bill in the shirt pocket I'm wearing. Take it and get a cab. Stop by the house and get whatever clothes aren't damaged of yours and mine."

"Dad..." I tried to protest but he cut me off.

"Don't interupt. There's a couple suitcases in the top of my closet that you can put the clothes in and my wallet is in the drawer of my side table. I'm pretty sure the water didn't go any higher than a foot so it should be dry. There's a motel a couple blocks from the apartments that you can get a two bed room there. Check in and take a shower, eat something and get some sleep. You need it. I should be able to check out of the hospital and get to the hotel by this evening after I've taken a long nap. If they tell me to stay any longer, I'll call you." he took a deep breath and winced after he finished talking.

"Ok..." I whispered.

He reached into the shirt pocket and handed me the money. "Go. I love you kid." He winked with his good eye and closed it completely then.

I walked away from the bed, feeling rather confused. That's the first time my dad's ever done anything so responsible. A doctor nearly ran into me when I reached the room's door. "Pardon me Fugioka san. Just so you know, your father will need to stay until this afternoon. It turns out that besides a broken leg, he also cracked a rib that will need to be taped. After it's taped, we'll need to look after him to make sure he doesn't puncture a lung while waiting for it to begin healing. I'll release him this afternoon at 4 P.M."

"That's okay. I'll leave school to pick him up and bring him to the hotel."

He bowed his head and left, leaving me to call a cab with the phone in my pocket. As I was heading for the main doors to wait for my cab, I froze in my tracks. Standing next to the door was none other than Kyoya Oortori talking with his father. The boy in question looked towards me, a questioning look in his eyes that disapeared when he adjusted his glasses. He said something to his father who looked at me with unreadable eyes before nodding at his son and walking away.

Kyoya walked casually over to me as I froze like a deer in headlights. "Haruhi. And what brings you to my family's local hospital?"

"Nothing..." I mumbled and tried to duck past him, only to be stopped by a strong arm encircling my waist.

He bent down to look at me at eye level. "Tell me Haruhi. Why are you here. If you don't tell me, I could always look in the database and find out myself."

"My father was injured." I said shortly, feeling angry that I might miss my cab because the shadow king picked today of all days to pretend he cared.

I thought I saw something flash in his eyes but a gleam slid over his glasses from a light behind me, making his face unreadable. "How was he injured?"

I sighed. "The rain caused our ceiling to cave. He was standing under it when it caved."

"What's the damage?" He asked, sounding professional.

"A broken leg and a cracked rib." No need to add that the apartment was beyond repair no doubt from the water damages.

"Will you be coming to school? You have customers to attend to today."

I sighed, feeling the anger radiate off of me. "I've been through a lot today Kyoya senpai! Is all you can think about is making a stupid profit?"

The shock was evident on his face and I was too upset to feel sorry. I pushed past him and left the hospital, my taxi waiting for me outside.


	2. Kyoya Asks A Favor

**I HOPE EVERYONE LIKED THE FIRST CHAPTER. HERE'S CHAPTER TWO. :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.**

**YEN HINT: 1000 YEN IS TEN DOLLARS. 100,000 YEN IS A THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE WAY YEN WORKS IS THAT ONE HUNDRED YEN IS ROUGHLY ONE DOLLAR. THE EXACT CHANGE IS A LITTLE ROUGH SO I CAN'T TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW MUCH IT IS. I'M GUESSING YEN IS ALREADY TAX INCLUDED BUT I COULD BE WRONG.**

Haruhi's POV:

After doing everything dad had instructed, I relaxed on one of the queen sized beds in the western style hotel room after a nice, long shower in a pair of clean pajamas. I picked up a room service menu from the side of the bed and looked over it. The white rice with teriaki chicken looked good and it was cheap. I dialed the phone on the bedside table and placed my order. Fifteen minutes later, the food arrived and I dug in, feeling like a glutton.

I had just finished eating and had settled down for a nap when my phone went off. I reached over and opened it, holding it up to my ear. "Hello?"

"Haruhi?" I heard two voices say at the same time. "Are you okay? You're not here for class."

I thought on my toes. "I'm fine. Just feeling sick. I'll be at school tomorrow."

"Hikaru and Kaouri Hitachiin! Put the phone away now! This is classtime!"

"Yes senpai." they said together tiredly.

"You guys shouldn't be calling me on the phone when you're in class."

"Get better soon Haruhi." Hikaru said.

"We miss you." Kaoru said right after and the line went dead. I hung up and collapsed back onto my pillow, pulling the cover up to my neck. It hadn't even been five minutes before I was fast asleep. When I woke up, the clock read 3:45."

"Holy crap!" I yelled and jumped out of bed to get ready. I had fifteen minutes to get to the hospital. I hadn't expected to stay asleep that long. At 3:52, I was ready and rushing out of the room, only pausing to shut and lock the door. There was a cab someone was just getting out of outside the hotel so I took it and told them to head to the Oortori Hospital. When I arrived, dad was already checked out and waiting by the doors in a wheelchair with a pair of crutches leaning across his lap.

"The hospital told me I could borrow these." He said right away, smiling his usual goofy smile. "I sort of flirted with the doctor to get the favor."

"I'm sorry I'm late. I slept later than I had intended." As I spoke, I wheeled him towards the waiting cab. The driver helped me get him inside the cab and fold up his wheelchair and put it in the trunk with the crutches. On the ride to the hotel, I told him the full damage of the apartment and he sighed.

"I guess we'll need to use the insurance money to pay for a hotel room while we look for somewhere else to live." He looked very tired. "Did you save your mom's picture?"

"It was the first thing I grabbed." I smiled to myself. When we arrived at the hotel, I got out his crutches and wheel chair and the driver helped me get him in it. We took the elevator up to the room and I let him in.

"This place is nice. I've never been to a western hotel. It looks so posh." He rolled himself over to the bed with his suitcase on it.

"It's not that posh. It's only a two star hotel. I put your makeup in that bag."

"Oh goodie!" he gushed and got right to work putting some on.

It made me smile that even after getting all busted up, he was still his usual giddy self. As soon as he finished his makeup, I helped fix his hair and get him in a pair of girl's capris and a blouse. He then proceeded to order stuff from room service. He flirted shamelessly with the guy who brought up the food. The man seemed to really believe my dad was a woman. He ended up getting the guy's phone number and a promise that he'd visit the bar he worked at before the man was allowed to leave.

I helped wheel him up the the table in the room where him and I ate supper. After my dad had gotten into bed and fallen asleep, I heard an unusually loud knock at the door. Afraid the visitor would make up dad, I rushed to the door and threw it open. To my complete embarassment, it was Tamaki with a rather frustrated looking Kyoya standing behind him.

"Haruhi! You're alive!" clamping my hand over his mouth before he could yell any louder, I pushed us all into the hall and shut the door.

"My dad's sleeping senpai. Would you please shut up? Why are you here? And how did you know I was here?"

Kyoya adjusted his glasses. "I tried to explain that your father had been injured but this idiot only heard the words Haruhi, hospital and injured from everything I said."

"Senpai, you need to listen more often. I'm okay and my dad is okay too. He'll be completely better within a couple of months. He just broke his leg and got a cracked rib." Although I said it casually, I was still really worried about him and I'd do my best to help my dad out until he was better, even if it meant getting a job behind the school's back.

"How did he get hurt?" Tamaki had calmed down considerably and looked like he was being very serious.

"The living room ceiling at my apartment caved with him standing under it."

"That's terrible!" he yelled and I shushed him. He toned down. "That's terrible. When did this happen?"

"This morning at about 4 A.M." I said.

"Wow. During the thunderstorm? Weren't you scared of the storm?"

"I guess I didn't notice. I was too worried about my dad." I suprised even myself then. I was so concerned about my father's safety that I forgot all about the thunder and lightening.

"Is your house badly damaged?" Tamaki asked, looking very worried.

"It's fine senpai...don't worry..." I tried to assure him but he didn't look convinced.

"Tell me the truth Haruhi." Kyoya spoke this time. His hard stare made me feel like I was in an interogation room.

"We're going to look for somewhere else to live. The apartment was destroyed with the water damage." I said recluctantly. This is exactly the thing I didn't want to happen.

"That's terrible!" Tamaki yelled and pulled me into a bone crushing hug.

"Oof! Senpai! You're crushing me!" I gasped.

He let me go and rubbed the back of his neck. "Oops. Sorry. I'm really sorry that happened Haruhi. I'm more than willing to pay for another apartment for you and your father. Infact, why stop there. I'll pay for a penthouse with all new furniture and I'll even buy you and your father a whole new wardrobe!"

"Senpai!" I interupted before he could get any more carried away. "That's all really unneccessary. My father will be recieving some money from his job while he's off work and the insurance will pay for the hotel while he heals."

"Haruhi. Surely someone as smart as you realizes that a job as menial as a transvestite in a bar will give minimum out of work pay and the most your insurance company will give you will only pay for no more than a week here. That's not including meals and transportation money." Kyoya stated matter of factly.

I tried to ignore the fact that he seemed to know what home insurance company we were with and how much they paid and focused on the matter at hand. "I'll get a job. I got a job at the Pension Misuzu over the summer and you guys never told the school on me. Would you tell on me now?"

"Of course not. But living in a hotel until your father heals is no way to live." Tamaki said, grabbing my shoulders. "Please let us at least give you the money for a month's worth of rent. I'm sure you can't really object to a few million yen."

"Tamaki senpai. Even if I did want to accept your money, a few million yen would pay for more than six months of rent at the apartment complex we live at."

"Wow! Commoner housing is so cheap!" Tamaki stared into the distance and as annoying as his coined term 'commoner' was, I really did have a soft spot for his crazy antics.

"I understand you have your pride and you're afraid you'll end up owing us in the end, but we really insist we help you out." Kyoya began. He brought out a calculator and a notebook and pen from God knows where and began to calculate something. "I stopped by your apartment and the damage in your roof will be covered by the complex you live at although I can promise you that they will do a very shabby job at patching and cleaning the mess up."

I blinked and listened almost stupidly as he calculated everything as quick as lightning.

"If we were to give you a hundred thousand yen, it would pay for patching the roof and for cleaning the water damage done to your hardwood floors. Another hundred thousand yen would pay for replacing all the furniture ruined by the water and pay for sending out the usable furniture to be cleaned. That's if you use the more expensive services of the city. I'm sure you can find somewhere cheaper and only use half that, but I don't recogmend it if you want it to be done properly. And finally, if we give you another hundred thousand yen, it will cover two months worth of rent at your complex. Or we could just give you the three hundred thousand yen to spend on a brand new apartment and furniture."

"I really can't accept any money for you guys Kyoya senpai. I'd always worry that I owed you somehow." I rubbed my neck nervously.

"I can assure you my dear daughter that I'd never let momma charge you for the gift we are giving." Tamaki said, holding me way too close for comfort.

I pushed him and held him back at arms length while he continued to try to hug me. I sighed. "I'll take the money but I don't want to be given money like I'm some charity case. I want to try to pay it back during my club activites. You said I paid back my debt at the end of freshman year and we were able to convince everyone during that festival that I was only wearing a dress as cosplay so now working for club gives me actual profit."

"Yes but with all the expenses we charge for getting you cosplays and such, the money we deposit into your bank account ammounts to a mere three thousand yen a month. That would hardly pay for a week's worth of groceries. If we just start taking the money instead of depositing it, it will take you until the end of this year to completley pay it off and that's if I don't charge you interest." Kyoya adjusted his glasses. "Which I won't." He added like it was an afterthought.

I glared at him and suddenly remembered how rude I was to him at the hospital this morning. "Uh. I gotta get some sleep if that's alright. I'll be in school tomorrow ready to learn and do club activites, same as always. I'll have to leave right after the guests leave to make sure my father is okay though."

Tamaki nodded and gave me another hug. "Be a good girl. Daddy will see you tomorrow morning." He let go and rushed down the hall for the elevator. "Come on Kyoya!"

He began to walk but I discreatly grabbed his shirt sleeve. He didn't turn from the bouncing blonde down the hall as I spoke. "I'm really sorry for yelling earlier. I didn't mean to snap at you. I was just tired and hungry and afraid for my dad."

"It's alright Haruhi. I understand. I apologize for making you feel like I put your club activities above the well being of your family. I'll deposit the three hundred thousand yen into your bank account this evening. You don't need to pay it back. I have something else in mind for you to do to repay me."

I was thankful that Tamaki was distracted by pressing the elevator button and he didn't seem to notice how Kyoya was paused in the hallway. "What do you mean?" I asked, slightly afraid but curious nonetheless.

"I'll call you later this evening to tell you. Tamaki is waiting." He pulled from the grip I had on his sleeve and joined his distracted companion by the elevator.

As soon as they were gone, I went back into the hotel room. I locked it up and got into pajamas before climbing into bed. I kept my phone in my hand as I relaxed, waiting for Kyoya's call. I couldn't explain why but I felt slightly anxious because of what Kyoya said. I racked my brain for reasons as to why but nothing came to mind other than that my brain automatically knew that anything the shadow king had in mind was sure to be bad news.

It had been about half an hour and I was on the brink of sleep when the call finally came. I got out of bed and snuck into the bathroom. Shutting the door, I answering it. "Hello?"

"Hello Haruhi."

It was Kyoya. His voice sounded casual and almost lazy. For a brief moment, I imagined him sitting at a desk and leaning back with his feet propped, making a casual call. The image really didn't fit the nickname hypotensive evil lord. "Yes?"

"The favor I ask is quite simple. I'm going to be heading to Kyoto this weekend to pick out silk for a new activity the Host Club has planned. We'll be buying tatsumora silk and taking it to another place to have them make kimonos. Since it's Spring and the cherry blossoms are in bloom, we'll be having a blossom viewing ceremony complete with traditional kimonos for the hosts."

"Wouldn't you normally just order it through the internet?" I asked, confused as to why he wanted to leave the city to get the kimonos."

"Normally I would but last time I used the internet to do this, I was sent phony, cheap silk and it made for very cheap kimonos. I'm a busy man and I put a lot of time and money into this club so I want everything to be the best. This blossom viewing ceremony is going to be the highlight of the season. It will go on the sunday after this coming sunday and it will last all day. I want everyone to be amazed with it. Everything must be perfect. The profits from this activity will overflow the budget for many of Tamaki's outrageous plans to come."

"So the day after tomorrow, we'd go to Kyoto and we'd spend the weekend buying silk and waiting for the kimonos to be made?"

"Yes. I would pay for your expenses and I'll ask your father myself."

I didn't see a downside to this but I did have a question. "Why do you want me to go with you?"

"Tamaki is spending the weekend with his father and grandmother, Honey and Mori have practice at the dojo and I don't have the patience for the twins."

His answer sounded reasonable. "Alright. I'll help you out. No problem."

"Good. Friday after school, we'll be skipping the club meeting and taking the private car. Pack for the whole weekend."

"Uh, alright."

"Goodnight Haruhi." Before I could respond, he had hung up. I looked at my phone, blinking in confusion. I cannot believe I'm going to spend the whole weekend with the shadow king. I respressed the urge to shudder and after a moment, found that I liked the idea. Maybe I should spend tomorrow out of school to help dad handle stuff. The idea that dad would say no about the trip to Kyoto also crossed my mind.

I shook my head and dismissed all further thoughts that would cause stress and left the bathroom. Climbing back into my bed, I got right to sleep.


	3. The New Apartment

**HELLO! DO YOU LIKE IT SO FAR? LET ME KNOW PLEASE. :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.**

Haruhi's POV:

Before I was able to get safely out of the house for school, Kyoya called and started talking to my dad. My dad grabbed my shoulder as he talked to him. I used my basic knowledge of my dad to know his mood. If he acted serious, he was going to say no. If he flirted, he was going to say yes.

"It sounds just wonderful! It's a shame my leg is broken. I wouldn't mind spending a whole weekend with a handsome young man myself. Promise me you'll protect my Haruhi."

At the end of the call, my dad smiled and told me all about the trip. I acted like it was a suprise and helped him out of bed and into his wheelchair. "I want you to be very careful and promise to get daddy a silk robe while you're there."

"I'm not sure if I can afford it but I'll do my best."

"Oh don't worry. Kyoya already promised me one. You know what colors I like so you can pick it out. Now hurry on to school and get home right after the club meeting to pack."

I gave him a hug and thanked him before heading to school. When I entered the school, Tamaki was waiting by the door for me. "Haruhi. How are you this morning?" He smiled his usual brilliant smile and I couldn't help but smile back. Sometimes Tamaki's mood could be downright contageous.

"I'm doing good. You didn't tell anyone about what I told you and Kyoya, right?"

"Of course not. It's your business. I swear to keep it a secret from everyone. Exspecially those shady twins."

"Thanks." As if on cue, the before mentioned twins came running down the hall. They slinked up on both sides of me, Kaoru had one arm around my shoulders and Hikaru had an arm around my waist.

"Hey Haruhi." Hikaru whispered mischeviously.

"We've got a new game in mind for you." Kaoru said almost seductively.

I gulped. "What kind of game?"

"It's our little secret. All you need to know is you're part of it." Hikaru said before both twins let go of me and stood in front of me.

"I don't get it. What kind of game?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

"Yeah! What do you two think you're doing by including my Haruhi in a game she doesn't even know the details of?" Tamaki shouted and I could practically feel the nerve on my head pulsing.

"Senpai, I am not _yours_. I belong to no one."

Tamaki looked startled so I must've looked much angrier than I had intended to look. "Please don't be mad at daddy Haruhi!"

He pounced on me and hugged the living daylights out of me.

"Get off me!"

"Pervert! The boss is a pervert!" The twins yelled at the same time while circling around us.

I was finally able to push him off and as I did so, I knocked him directly into an approaching Kyoya. The impact was enough to cause Kyoya's glasses to fly off his face and fall to the ground with an audible crack. A chill went through me from my head to my toes as the lense that hadn't cracked popped out and rolled to my feet. Everyone there froze as we waited for Kyoya's reaction. I could even see a startled Honey and Mori standing in my peripheral vision.

"K-k-k-yoya...?" Tamaki was the first to speak. He spun around and took two careful steps away from the man who's eyes looked absolutely livid. Not even the usually carefree twins dared to say a word to further anger the hypotensive evil lord. They backed away from my sight, leaving Tamaki and I in the scariest staring match ever.

He took a deep breath. "Both of you are going to go to the eye doctor's three blocks from here before class. You are going to pick up another pair for me. Give them my name and they will give you a pair of the ones I wear already fitted to my vision. I'll be billing you both later. I'll be waiting in the downstairs lobby. If you are not back in exactly thirty minutes when school starts...well, let's just say you won't want to be coming back." His cool air and scary smile made his threat all the more ominous.

We both turned towards the door and and wobbled out like paper dolls, afraid that any swift movements would result in death by the shadow king's hand. I turned only once when we were safely out the door to see Kyoya walk towards the downstairs lobby. As he was walking through the door, he ran right into someone. I giggled. He was litterally blind without his glasses, I'll bet. Or maybe his anger is clouding his vision.

Tamaki and I relaxed some when we made it to the Ouran gate. "Man, I thought he was gonna kill us all." I said, smiling awkwardly. "Sorry for pushing you senpai."

"No apologies needed. I was the one hanging onto you for dear life." His nervous laugh made me feel unsettled.

We didn't say anything else and when we arrived at the eye doctor, we told them the news and were told to wait while another pair was found. We had been waiting for a couple minutes when I felt my phone buzz. I pulled my phone out to see that I had a text message from Hikaru's phone.

**FROM: Hikaru**

**U 2 alright? I've never seen Kyoya look so mad.**

I typed a quick reply.

**TO: Hikaru**

**Yes we're alright. And I know. I've never seen him that mad either. See you when we get back.**

"Who was that?" Tamaki asked me, fiddling with some kind of game on his cellphone.

"Hikaru was checking up on us. No doubt Kaoru was with him."

"I don't really like those twins. They have no right to call you their toy all the time and pull you into their sick games."

"They're just a couple of childish teens who want to have fun and they're both really good friends so I always try to be level headed about their games unless the situation calls for me to get angry."

"You and the twins are the same age but you act so much more mature than they do." Tamaki said in an appreciative tone.

"I'm not sure why that is myself...I guess...maybe I've just seen more of the world than they have?"

He shrugged and turned his attention to the counter. "I think his glasses are ready."

Someone came over to us and handed us two cases. "This is his main pair and this is a spare pair. Tell him that he should keep the spare pair somewhere safe and try his best to make the main pair last."

We nodded and thanked them before heading towards the school. When we got back, we handed both pairs to Kyoya and conveyed the worker from the eye doctor's message before attempting an exit. Tamaki's legs were much longer than mine so he was gone in a flash. I was about to make my escape when a firm hand gripped my shoulder. My breath hitched and I peaked over my shoulder to see Kyoya standing, adjusting his glasses with the hand that wasn't holding on to me.

"Before you go, I've already calculated how you'll pay me back for breaking my glasses." He stated.

I gulped. "H-how?"

"This afternoon, you and Tamaki will clean the entire music room after the guests leave. You'll recieve no help from anyone. All dishes are to be sent to the cafeteria to be cleaned, all trash picked up, all tables wiped off and the floor sweeped."

I frowned but didn't say anything. There were worse things he could've done and cleaning doesn't bother me much. The only thing that made me dread it was listening to Tamaki's complaining the entire time. I nodded and gripped Kyoya's wrist. Pulling his hand off my shoulder, I exited the room. When I was out of sight, I leaned against a pilar, trying to catch my breath. I couldn't explain why but my heart was hammering. A small, unsure part of me told me, for whatever reason, that it was Kyoya himself that caused this reaction in me. He really could be scary if he wanted to be but I don't think that's exactly why I'm reacting this way.

Before I could dwell on it anymore, I caught sight of Tamaki heading for me. I told him the punishment Kyoya decided and listened to him gripe and whine about it for a good ten minutes before heading off to class. As I sat in my desk during our homeroom teacher's lecture, I absentmindedly doodled on my notebook.

When I snapped back to attention, I realized that I had drawn a pair of dark eyes covered my a pair of thin rimmed glasses. Blushing, I shut my notebook and sunk down into my desk. I was so lost in my tiredness that I jumped right out of my seat when the bell rang.

"Woah, Haruhi. You ok?" Kaoru asked while his brother eyed me carefully.

"I'm fine guys. Come on, it's lunchtime." We all walked down to Ouran's massive cafeteria. Normally, I'd eat my lunch in the classroom but since the roof caved in at my apartment, I've had no way to make box lunches at the hotel. So my dad arranged for me to recieve free lunches from the school through a financial aid program. I went to the counter and ordered the free lunch tray. It was a bowl of their daily special soup, a piece of fancy french bread with butter on it, a bowl of some kind of yogarty stuff, a few pieces of fancy tuna and a bottle of sparkling water.

I sat down with the twins, Honey and Mori before digging in. A few minutes later, Kyoya and Tamaki entered. I was looking in their direction lazily but I suddenly snapped to attention. Their eyes. Both of them were scanning the cafeteria in some kind of determination. When their eyes landed on the table we were sitting at, Tamaki rushed over to me while Kyoya adjusted his glasses and went to order lunch.

"Haruhiiiiii! How is daddy's little girl?" Tamaki shouted before taking a seat next to me.

I rolled my eyes, not really in the mood to argue with him. "I'm fine senpai."

"Lunch." Kyoya stated, sitting a tray in front of Tamaki and a tray on the table where he was going to sit. He took a seat and gave me a loaded look from over the frames that were sliding slightly down his nose. The look confused me even further and I instantly dropped my eyes. When I looked back up, he had fixed his glasses and was taking a drink of some kind of tea.

"Tama chan! Kyo chan! Haru chan! You're not going to believe this!" Honey said excitedly. I looked at him to see that he had a cellphone out. Both of the twins were leaning over his shoulder while Mori senpai looked into the distance.

"What is it Honey?" Tamaki asked.

"I just got a message sent to me by one of my customers. You know those rumors circulating about there being some students from less wealthy families being sent to another school so that the school won't lose its reputation for being a top school?"

"Those rumors are actually true." Kyoya stated, beating Honey to the chase. I felt a quiver of panic begin to form but I tried to force it back down.

Honey nodded solomnly and everyone's eyes zeroed in on me. Tamaki's eyes began to well up. "But who would do such a thing? Who would take Haruhi away from us?"

"Tamaki. The answer to that should be obvious. Especially to you."Kyoya said casually. "Your father is the chairman after all. It's his edict."

Tamaki's eyes widened for a brief moment, then narrowed to slits. He stood up slowly and walked quickly from the room.

"Do you think Tama chan is going to confront his father?" Honey asked worriedly while hugging his stuffed rabbit.

"I think so. I've never seen him so determined." Hikaru commented before going back into a conversation about a beach trip with Kaoru.

Lunch passed and so did the rest of the school. When club time came around, Tamaki was nowhere to be found. We all did our bests to handle all the guests but it was a challenge. Just as the last guest left, Tamaki came running in. "I'm so sorry I'm late!"

"That's the understatement of the century." I muttered. "The guests are already gone Tamaki. What took you this long?"

Instead of looking sheepish like he normally would when I was cross, he smiled trumphantly and held out a piece of gold colored paper. "Read!"

**-To whom this may concern,**

**I, Chairman Suoh, assure that Ouran Academy's honor student, Haruhi Fugioka, will continue to attend our fine institution and no question of money will ever be brought up again on the condition that the honor student keeps his grades at an A average and continues to participate in club activities at Ouran.**

**-CHAIRMAN SUOH**

At the bottom of the paper, there was a fancy and official looking seal. "Wow..." I said softly, reading over the paper one more time.

"This will assure that you can stay Haruhi. Just keep your good grades up and keep doing Host Club activities." Tamaki said excitedly.

"Thank you senpai." I said with underscored sincerity. I looked around and everyone seemed to be happy with the outcome. Everyone left a few minutes later, leaving Tamaki and I to clean. Inspite of his constant nagging, I was in a pretty good mood. I'll hide the paper in my book bag later. That way no one can ever kick me out for money reasons.

Once the room was completely clean, Tamaki collapsed in a chair. "That was EXAUSTING!"

I rolled my eyes. It wasn't hard at all senpai. You just whine too much. I gotta get back to my dad and see if he's alright." And pack. But I didn't add that last part since I was pretty sure the trip to Kyoto with Kyoya was supposed to be a secret. I had just walked in the hotel room door when I nearly fainted. My dad had... "You dyed your hair? Again?"

"Do you like it Haruhi? Plain old red hair was getting to be a drag. So now I'm a platinum blonde!" He had even cut his bangs and put on a bright pink dress. "Do I look like a million bucks or what?"

"You look like Elle Woods." I said, still in shock.

My dad frowned. "Does it look bad?"

"No, it's not that. It's just...different."

He smirked, satisfied with my answer. "I'll have even more customers once I go back to work." He fluffed his hair and began applying a bright pink lipstick.

I shook my head and pulled my suitcase from underneath my hotel room bed. Putting all the clothes into the drawers of a dresser the room had, I put in only what I would need for a weekend. A few changes of clothes, a pair of pajamas, bathroom items, a couple pairs of shoes, my contact sollution, a spare pair of contacts and a light blue one piece bathing suit just in case. As soon as I ate dinner, I told my dad about the money in my bank account from Tamaki and Kyoya.

"Really? That's wonderful! I'll have to thank them both! There's an ATM in the downstairs lobby sweetie. Pull out money for cab fair and we'll go apartment hunting right now!"

I was kinda tired but I didn't want to disappoint my dad so I did as he said before calling a cab. First thing we did was stop by an apartment complex my dad had always wanted to live at but they never had any vacent apartments. Unfortunately, they still didn't have any. We next drove to an apartment complex a little further from the school than our old one. It wasn't the nicest place but they had good prices. But my dad, being his diva self, instantly turned down the possibility after seeing the small closet space.

We then drove to an apartment complex only a block from the school called the Jade Garden Apartments. They were nicer apartments and suprisingly affordable. Aparently, we get a discount since I go to school at Ouran Academy. This complex had a swimming pool outside, a jacuzzi next to it and a garden area to walk in. I was even told they had a coy pond.

We went to look at their two bedroom apartment. It was large and spacious with pretty wooden floors. It already had some living room furniture so we wouldn't have to buy that ourselves. While I looked around the front room, deciding how I'd arrange furniture, my dad signed the papers for the apartment and wrote a check.

As soon as we were handed the keys, my dad dragged me back to the waiting cab. "Come on. We'll go pick out bedroom sets from the furniture store and have them delivered. Maybe we can have most of our stuff moved in here by this evening."

"Dad...please don't overwork yourself." I coaxed, trying to reason with him.

"Haruhi, I've never been this full of energy. Living in a stupid old hotel is no life for a growing young woman. You need space. By this evening, you'll have your own room again."

And he was right. By the time the sun went down, we had moved everything from the hotel to the apartment and the delivery van came right away with our bedrooms sets. I nearly fainted when I saw what my dad had bought me. I had originally just ordered a simple bed but he obviously went far beyond that. I'm suprised there was money left in the budget. Although, my dad really is the best at saving money.

It was ten o'clock before we finished organizing and got around to eating. I had ran up to the grocery store and bought some food for the place. We ate homemade dumplings and miso soup instead of the generic, prepackaged stuff the hotel makes. By the time I was ready for bed, I felt exhausted enough to fall asleep where I stood. I crawled into the brand news comforter and was fast asleep within a minute.


	4. Kyoto Trip Begins

**OMG! LOL. YOUR RESPONSES TO THAT LAST CHAPTER MADE ME SO HAPPY! :D I REALLY AM SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG FOR MY CREATIVE SPARK TO RETURN. THERE WAS ALSO THE ISSUE OF MY COMPUTER CORD BREAKING (AGAIN!). MY COMPUTER IS AN OLD WOMAN SO I WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO DEAL WITH STUFF LIKE THAT. :/ HER NAME IS KIMBER. :D **

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. ENJOY. :)**

**ATTENTION! - For those who would like to see the pictures that inspired Haruhi's and Ranka's bedrooms, go to my profile and click the links. :)**

Haruhi's POV:

Before I knew it, it was friday and I was riding in a limo with Kyoya to the airport. Tokyo zipped by quickly and I was getting more and more excited to see Kyoto. "How long is the plane ride to Kyoto?" I asked.

"There isn't an airport in Kyoto. We'll take a plane to the Itami airport and then ride an hour in a limousine to get to Kyoto. Even though Kyoto is one of the largest tourist destinations in the country, it doesn't have its own airport."

"Wow..." I whispered before looking back out the window. I never get to leave town very often so I'm going to make the most of this trip and try not to focus too much on who I'm making this trip with.

"Also Haruhi." Kyoya began and I looked over at him. "The clothes you are wearing are fine for lazing around the hotel and such but I'll be in the company of some of the most dignified Kimono and silk makers in the world so you'll need to find something else to wear than some old jeans and a t-shirt."

"But that's the only kind of clothes I packed." I admitted while internally kicking myself for not bringing one of the dresses hanging in my closet."

Kyoya adjusted his glasses and wrote something in his notebook. "Very well. I'll pay for your professional clothing and bill you later."

I groaned and slumped in my seat. "I thought the point of vacations was to spend money and not feel bad about it until you go home."

"This isn't a vacation Haruhi, it's business." He stated monotonously. "We've arrived at the airport. I'll hold on to your passport and your ticket and someone will be coming to get our luggage. Just head straight to gate E-28. I'll be there in a few."

Nodding, I got out of the limo and headed straight inside. I had to go through security before reaching my gate but that went off without a hitch. A few minutes after I got there, Kyoyo joined me. He had two bowls of icecream. One strawberry and the other chocolate. "The plane won't be leaving for twenty minutes. We can sit over there and eat these while we wait."

He handed me the strawberry icecream as soon as we were seating and we both ate in silence. It isn't exactly what I would call a healthy breakfast but at least it tastes good. As soon as I finished my icecream, Kyoyo grabbed my wrist gently but firmly and led me through the gate to our plane. Since I was traveling with an Ootori, it was a give-in that we'd be traveling first class but what shocked me even more was that we were traveling a step further. In the plane we were on was a first class room that we had all to ourselves. It was large and spacious with couches and other fancy furniture.

"How much did this room cost? Wait! Don't tell me. I don't even want to know." I shook my head in worry as to what he would charge me for my first class ticket and sat in one of the regular plane seats next to the room door. We would be allowed to move about once we were in the air.

"What's the name of the hotel we're staying at?" I asked.

"The Hiiragiya Hotel." He answered before buckling up his own seat. I buckled up too and the plane began to move a few moments after. I was a bit stressed about the plane ride but the entire time we were ascending, Kyoya just typed away on his laptop.

_"We are now airborn. You are free to move about the cabin."_

Sighing in relief, I unbuckled my seatbelt and sat on one of the couches. There was a tv but there wasn't anything good on so I settled for reading a magazine and watching Kyoya. He was had unbuckled his seatbelt but he was still sitting in the safety seat typing on his laptop. Without warning, his dark eyes shot up and looked directly into mine. "What are you staring at Haruhi?"

I shoved the magazine in front of me to hide the blush I felt on my cheeks. Why was I staring at him? When the blush died down, I put the magazine away and carefully avoided looking directly at Kyoya. He had moved to sit at a desk where he continued to type on his laptop. "Are you going to be on that thing the entire trip?"

His fingers stopped moving and he looked at me with that same, bored stare. "And what else is there to do on this trip?"

"Um..." I was about to say tv but there was only one thing playing and it was some kind of soap opera. I looked around the room and my eyes zeroed in one a table with a checkers set on it. "Checkers?"

He raised a thin black brow while eyeing the game before closing his laptop. I had expected him to scoff or at the very least, laugh. I didn't expect him to stand up and take a seat at the checkers table. "Alright. Let's play then."

"Seriously?" I said disbelievingly and he nodded. I got off the couch and sat across from him at the table. "What color do you want to be?" I asked him, eyeing the red and black pieces.

"I'll be black." He stated as he rested his chin on his propped up hands. "You can go first."

Biting my lip, I moved a piece forward. I had always been good at checkers growing up. It was a much simpler alternative to learning chess. So it kind of suprised me when Kyoya won. He had blocked every single attempt I had at stealing his pieces and had end up totally dominating me. "Want to play again?" I asked while trying to reorganize the board.

"No thank you." He stood up and went over to the couch. Picking up a magazine, he leafed through it with long, pale fingers. "Are you hungry?" He asked me.

"A little." I admitted and he stood up.

"I'll go order us some lunch. Try to stay out of trouble while I'm gone."

He left imediately and I sat in the wooden chair awkwardly. After a minute, I eyed his laptop. I wonder if the plane offers wifi. Would Kyoya mind me using his computer as long as I'm careful? I'm really bored. Not focusing too much on the consequences, I got up and sat at the desk before carefully opening his laptop. I was about to open the internet browzer when I had a new idea. I clicked on the button that said 'my documents' and a little box popped up.

**Please Enter Password:**

Password? Hmmm...what kind of password would the hypotensive evil lord use? I remembered how my dad talked about ways to crack passwords using basic knowledge. If you knew enough about the person, you could figure out what kind of password they would use. Kyoya is a mysterious guy but he's also very practical. So he's the type to use numbers or names. Maybe...his birthday? I racked my brain for his birthday and remembered. I typed it in and the computer made a negative sounding beep.

**Incorrect**

Fail...um...maybe Tamaki's birthday? Tamaki is Kyoya's best friend. I typed it in and the computer beeped again.

**Incorrect**

Um...I ended up typing in several more things. Everything from names to places to colors. I even typed in Oosachan. All were incorrect. Bored and ticked off that it was so difficult. I started typing in even more random things. I typed in several words, birthdays and numbers in different languages that I knew. After the fiftieth try at cracking his password, I noticed a little blinking icon in the corner of the screen. I double clicked it.

**It seems like you're having trouble remembering your password**

**Mr. Ootori. Remember: Your Password hint is:**

**"Debt"**

It then hit me like a lightening bolt. My debt! Eighty million yen! I went back to the password box and typed in '80million' and a possitive sounding beep went off before opening the file. There were several little folders. Most said things like 'events', 'club ideas' and budget' but one specifically caught my eye. It was labeled 'Haruhi'. It's not like my name was in there alone. There were four other folders labeled 'Suoh', 'Morinozuka', 'Haninozuka' and 'Hitachiin'. What specifically caught my eye was he had labeled it 'Haruhi' instead of 'Fugioka'.

I double clicked it and another password box popped up. "You've got to me kidding me! How many passwords does this guy need?"

"Several since just one doesn't keep a curious little girl from snooping."

I nearly jumped out of my skin. The voice had come from right behind me. I looked over my shoulder and felt a little ghost go flying out of me. It was Kyoya. "I didn't hear you come in..."

"I doubt you could hear anything above your unintelligable muttering." He said before reaching past me and shutting the laptop. "What exactly were you looking for?"

"Nothing...just looking around." I said sheepishly, wishing the floor of the plane would open up and I could skydive away from the scary looking boy towering over me.

Kyoya bent down and hooked one arm around my shoulders and the other under my knees before lifting me into his arms. "I don't appreciate people going through my personal belongings Haruhi. Some things should be left alone. Would you play with Honey senpai's rabbit without permission?"

"No senpai." I said softly while he carried me towards the couch. He had his eyes trained on me and I couldn't look away for a second. He sat me down and kneeled on one knee so he'd be at eye level of me. I had never felt so scared in my life. He looked like he was ready to kill me but I couldn't be sure since his glasses were starting to gleam. His mouth was turned down in a frightening frown and his eyebrows were furrowed together.

"I don't want you to ever go through my laptop again Haruhi. Some things I have on it are to never be messed with. If I ever find out you went through it again, I'll make you pay. And I'm not talking about stupid yen." Without waiting for my reaction, he stood and walked towards the door. "The food is ready by now. I'll go get it."

As soon as he was gone, I collapsed on my side and curled into a ball. Little chills were going up and down my spine and I felt like I had just been kicked in the gut. What could possibly be on that laptop that would make him react that way? I've never seen him so serious...

The rest of the planeride was awkward. We didn't speak at all and we didn't even look at eachother. The ride in the limo to Kyoto was even more awkward because we sat in seats directly across from eachother. Kyoya had put his laptop back in a zip-up case and had sat in on the seat next to him. Maybe my sense of self preservation was totally shot but I still really wanted to know what he was hiding. When we arrived in Kyoto, I istantly slid into a seat closer to the window to stare at the passing scenery. Kyoto was beautiful and very big. We arrived at the hotel twenty minutes later and were escorted through the lovely traditional style hotel to a place they called 'the new wing'.

The room was beautiful. It was done up traditionally but with a comfortable splash of modernism. We were shown the living room, the half bath and the bedroom. It had one bed in it. "Um...where is my room?" I asked.

"This is it." He stated. "This is one of the most popular hotels in the entire city so vacancies don't happen often. It's in a good, centeral location and I insist on staying here. They only have 28 rooms and this was the only one I could reserve. Do you have a problem with sharing a bedroom? They can bring in another bed."

"Um...it's fine..." I mumbled before going back to the living room and sitting at the table. **(A/N: For pictures of the Hiiragiya hotel, go to my profile and find the links.)**

Kyoya tipped the boy who brought in our luggage and came to sit with me at the table. "Rest while you can. We're going to be leaving to buy you something to wear." He paused and gave me a careful look. "And for all our sakes, lets hope we can get you a wig."

I frowned. "What's wrong with my hair?"

"As girlish as your face is, Haruhi, that haircut makes you look like a boy." He stood up and motioned for me to follow him out. I had figured we'd be using a limo but he motioned for an approaching rickshaw to stop.

"We're riding in that?" I asked in shock.

"The area of Kyoto we're in is famous for their rickshaw rides." He said with his host smile before helping me in. Within fifteen minutes, we were at a place called 'Egao geisha'. We were welcomed right in by an elderly woman in a silver kimono.

"Welcome back to Kyoto Mr. Ootori. And who is this?"

"This is my companion for this trip. Do you think you could set right to work? I have an appointment this evening that she needs to look presentable for."

The woman bowed gracefully and took me hand. "Right this way Miss. We'll start with your hair and makeup then we'll find you some clothes. You can call me Miyah."

Sighing, I followed her through a curtain. I hate makeovers but this trip is me paying for the new apartment we have. That reminds me. I should tell Kyoya about the new apartment if my dad hasn't already.

Half an hour later, I was fixed up in a brown wig with a headband and gentle wavy curls and had my makeup done. I hadn't seen myself yet but I could tell I'd look scary by the height of the heels woman was trying to coax me into wearing. Eventually, she agreed to flats and she slid a grey and black dress on me that went to the middle of my thighs. **(A/N: To see Haruhi's complete look, go to my profile and find the link for her grey dress)**

"Alright dear. You're ready. There's a mirror over there you can look into." She guided me to the mirror and stepped back to let me have the full effect. I had to do a double take. I didn't even look like myself. The dress that had looked kind of ugly on the hanger hung just right on me and accented my small figure. The wig was a shade lighter than my hair color and brought out my eyes and the makeup was done in a charcoal and peach color scheme.

I brought up a hand to touch the wig and admirred the peach colored fingernail polish. I had never before in my entire life cared about my gender or how I looked but in this one moment, I had actually thought of myself as pretty. "Thank you so much Miyah..."

"It was no trouble at all dear. Mr. Ootori is waiting on you." She took my hand and led me back into the waiting room. Kyoya was looking down at a magazine so he didn't notice me until I had cleared my throat. He looked up lazily and his eyes shot wide open. The magazine fell from his lap and he shot from his seat the way they do in old fashioned movies. "She looks lovely, doesn't she Mr. Ootori?" Miyah said brightly.

Kyoya's shock lasted momentarily and he adjusted his glasses before nodding his head. "Yes. Perfect. We're going to be late if we don't leave right now. Thank you for your work Miyah. My family will be sending a very nice tip with the bill."

The woman nodded her head with a sweet smile before touching my shoulder and leaving through the back curtain. I followed Kyoya out and looked for a rickshaw but the big limo in front of the store told me we'd be using it. "No rickshaw?" I asked.

"Not when we're on our way to a meeting." He said as if it should be obvious. We got into the limo and took off for our destination. "The meeting we're going to will determine who we'll buy our silk from and how much we'll be paying for it. From you, I expect silence."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I know how you like to joke and the men we'll be meeting with have don't have a big sense of humor." He said, smirking. "Just sit beside me and if spoken to, just smile and reply with the intelligence I know is somewhere in that brain of yours."

"Ok." I said shortly. "If you think I'll screw this up, why invite me?"

"I never said you would screw this up. I just know you have a keen eye for a bargain so you can help me decided if I'm being overcharged. That and I almost always bring a companion with me. Silk prices go as follows..."

He spent the ten minute ride telling me all about the price of silk. We pulled in front of a teahouse and went right into a private room. There were three sets of people that I guessed to be the three companies trying to sell us silk. The first pair were a man and a woman, the second were two men and the third were two women. "Welcome Mr. Ootori." They all said.

"Thank you Mr. Hako, Mr. Funa, Mrs. Sai." He nodded to each of them and then nodded to their assistants. "This is my assistant, Haruhi Fugioka."

They all greated me and I smiled politely back. We took a seat with them and two waitresses in kimonos came in with a sake serving and menus. We all ordered and were given a cup of sake. I knew it was alcohol and my dad would be really upset if I drank it but everyone else was so I picked it up and took a sip. Wow. I'm being peer pressured by a room full of middle aged businessmen and women. Kyoya look over at me as I sat the cup down and gave me a stern look that said to not touch the sake.

The one Kyoya had called Mr. Hako had cleared his throat. "If I may go first, I have a great bargain for you." He snapped his fingers and his female assistant put a big sample of silk on the table. "It's the best quality one can buy. It was made in the moutains of Kyoto on a prosperous silkworm farm."

Kyoya reached forward and picked up the fabric. He moved his fingers of the soft looking fabric and handed it to me. I felt it in my fingers. I had felt silk before. My dad had bought himself a Kimono once from Kyoto that he had been saving for for a year. I remember how soft it had been and I had even been with him to Kyoto to pick out the fabric.

The fabric had been pristine and the edges were smooth. This fabric I was holding looked and felt soft but the edges were rough. I had been told by a silk maker a long time ago that rough edges meant the fabric had been made by sick silkworms and that it would quickly unravel. Either that or the silk was a very good looking fake. A way to tell was to wet your fingers and run them along the edges.

"Could you answer a question Mr. Hako?" I asked and looked at Kyoya for his permission. Kyoya nodded and I looked Mr. Hako in the eyes.

"Of course young lady." He smiled politely but you could tell by his eyes that he was being cautious of me.

"This lovely silk...if we were to buy it from you, would the silk we would recieving be just like this?"

"Yes Miss. That exact texture in any color that pleases you." He smiled cheekily and gave a triumphant look to the other people that are competing.

I reached over to the sake cup and dipped my index and middle fingers into it before running them along the edges of the fabric. Everyone, even Kyoya, was staring at me like I'm insane. The fabric began to unravel slightly. I could see the little threads now. It was a fake. "If that is the case then we will not be buying silk from you. We want real silk, not impressive immitations."

"Young lady, that silk is as real as silk gets." Mr. Hako said. You could tell he was trying not to yell.

"Real silk doesn't snag and unravel when submerged in room temperature water." I held the fake up and pulled from the area I had wet with the sake. It rippped right in half. I handed both pieces back to Mr. Hako and looked at Kyoya sheepishly. He was...smiling? Smirking. He was pleased. I supressed a smug smile and allowed Kyoya to do the talking.

"If you and your assistant would please leave Mr. Hako?" He said firmly. Both Mr. Hako and his assistant stood with pale faces before quickly exited the room. "Why don't you present your fabric next Mr. Funa?"

And the fabric buying competition commenced.


	5. Pearls And Storms

**HEY! :D THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS.**

**BTW, EVERYTHING I SAID ABOUT HOW TO TELL IF SILK IS FAKE OR NOT WAS TOTALLY MADE UP. NORMALLY I ALWAYS DO RESEARCH SO MY FACTS ARE SOLID BUT I DIDN'T THINK THERE WAS THAT SIMPLE OF A WAY TO TELL AND I NEEDED A WAY TO LET HARUHI SHOW THAT GUY UP.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.**

Haruhi's POV:

We ended up getting a better deal from the two women selling their silk. After the meeting, Kyoya and I went back to the hotel and took turns using the bathroom. After my shower, I brushed through my hair and read a magazine. Kyoya was taking his shower and after a couple minutes, I got bored and started looking around the hotel room. I went into the bedroom area and my eyes zeroed in on the laptop sitting open on the bed. I could still hear the shower water running so I took it as a good opportunity.

I sat on the floor by the bed and pulled the laptop near me. I double clicked the documents folder and typed in the password I learned earlier. It let me in and I was about to double click the folder with my name on it when another folder caught my eye. 'Pictures'. I listened again for the sound of shower water but didn't hear any. Panicking, I closed everything out and put the laptop back in place before rushing back into the living room and sitting at the table.

A few seconds later, a shirtless Kyoya came from the steamy bathroom with his towel draped over his shoulder and glasses in hand. He sat his glasses on the table as he took a seat and proceeded to dry his hair with the towel. At first, I just stared out the open window into the hotel's garden but something told me to turn around. Without moving my head, I let my eyes wander to Kyoya's face. He had put his glasses on and was staring at me with unreadable eyes. He almost looked...sad?

I turned my face fully towards him. "Are you okay Kyoya senpai?"

He blinked as if he had just been zoning out. "Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You were staring."

He almost scowled. "I wasn't."

"You were."

"I wasn't."

"You were."

"I wasn't staring at anything Haruhi." He said defiantly.

"Don't act like such a child about it senpai." I quiped before swatting him gently on the arm.

"I'm not acting like a child Haruhi. You need to mind your own business." He stood up quickly and practically stomped into the bedroom. He came back out a few minutes later with a makeshift bed set in a zip up plastic pouch. "Here." He said shortly before sitting it on the table and going back into the bedroom.

Angry, I set the bed up in a huff and went right to bed. It was already nine, an acceptable time for sleep after a long day of traveling and running around. Well if Kyoya's gonna be so obstinant to me, I'll just wait for him to fall asleep and look into all his files on his laptop. By the time Kyoya turned out his bedroom light, I was already falling asleep myself. Shaking my head, I waited thirty minutes before crawling out of the makeshift bed and peeking into the room. He looked asleep. His laptop was sitting on the bedside table next to him.

I sucked in a deep breath and crawled into the room. I stopped at the foot of the bed and watched him closely. He looked really innocent when he slept. No scowl, just peaceful. I crawled up to his bedside table and carefully picked up the laptop. Clutching it to my chest with one hand, I snuck from the room and sat on the makeshift bed. I didn't want the noises on it to wake him so I found a pair of headphones in my bag and plugged them in. Putting them in my ears, I went to his document folder and typed in the password.

Now which one to look into...There's always the folder with my name on it. Or the folder with pictures in it. Or maybe a music folder. Music later. Pictures now. Double clicking it, I thought long and hard about the password. When nothing came to me, I looked for the password hint button.

_PASSWORD HINT: Fruit_

Fruit? As in, Kyoya's favorite fruit or just a type of fruit in general? Shrugging, I typed in 'apple'. Incorrect. 'Pear'? Nope. 'Cherry'. Nada. 'Pineapple'. No. 'Peach'. Yes! Peach? That's my favorite fruit too. The pictures folder has several sub folders in it. There was a folder labeled Host Club Activities at the front of the list, a folder labeled vacation pictures and even a folder for each member of the host club individually. And just like the document folders, everyone's folder was their last name but mine was my first name. Does he not know my last name or something? I doubt that's the reason though.

I double clicked a folder labeled 'Arisu'. At least none of the picture subfolders were password protected. There was two little thumbnails. Double clicking the first one, I had to blink. It was a girl in a white sundress. One I've never seen before. She's obviously not a member of Ouran. She had flowing blonde hair and soft hazel eyes. Her smile was soft and warm and she was looking at the camera almost lovingly. As if the one taking the picture were the love of her life.

I clicked the 'next' button to see the other picture and I nearly passed out. It was a picture of a younger Kyoya and the blonde girl together. She was sitting in his lap and leaning on his shoulder. They both smiled at the camera happily. Kyoya smiling. I mean REALLY smiling. It was unreal. He had his arms around her waist even. I don't know why but seeing th picture made me frown. It was a beautiful picture, I won't deny it. With the cherryblossoms and the smiling faces. But it left me feeling a bit sad...

I was about to close everything out and put the laptop up when a little icon in the corner of the 'Arisu' folder caught my eye. I clicked it.

_There is a hidden folder in this file Mr. Ootori. Would you like_

_to make it visible?_

I clicked yes and another passsword box came up. As if something in my heart told me the answer, I typed in 'hazel'. The folder showed another file. It was a word document or something. Clicking on it, it read,

_"I wanted to fall into the stars with you. It was a foolish wish..."_

I read it over and over but could make no sense of it. Closing everyting, I shut down the computer and closed it. Pulling out the headphones and putting them away, I snuck back into the room and put his computer back in place. He was still sleeping soundly. Smiling sadly at him, I went to my makeshift bed and fell fast asleep.

I was shook awake the folowing morning by a furious looking Kyoya. "Why?"

"Huh?" I mumbled, rubbing my eyes before sitting up.

"Why did you get into my computer Haruhi? Why!"

The blood drained from my face and my eyes went wide. "How do you know I got into your computer?"

"The file! I keep a hidden file in one of my picture folders and somebody forgot to put it back up!" He looked absolutely livid. And...panicked?

"I'm really sorry Kyoya...I was really bored last night..."

"I don't care! I told you never to get into my computer Haruhi! I-I-I..." He pursed his lips then, a perminant looking scowl on his face. He looked down. "Why..." He said in a normal tone for once. "Why that folder?"

"I don't know..."

"How did you find out the secret password. I have no hint for it..."

"I don't know Kyoya...It's like something told me what the password was. Kyoya?"

He looked up, his eyes tired. "What?"

"Who is Arisu?"

He stared intently at me, like he was searching for something. "She was a close friend of mine. When I was a child. That picture from the folder was taken when she and I were fourteen.

"I've never seen her before. Does she go to Ouran?"

He shook his head, his eyes showing more emotion than I thought possible. "No. She died a month after those photos were taken. She got sick..."

My eyes widened and I felt an unbearable amount of guilt. I had opened something that was very painful for Kyoya...how could I be so careless? "I'm so sorry senpai...I didn't mean to..."

He suprised me by chuckled softly. "I'm aware that you had intended to get even with me for our arguement last night by going through my folders. Her passing happened years ago. I accept your apology."

"Okay..." I whispered, biting my lip. What else was I supposed to say? "Um...Kyoya senpai?"

He adjusted his glasses and stood up from his kneeling position. "Yes Haruhi?"

"You're not going to...make me 'pay' are you?" I asked nervously.

At first, he just blinked and stared at me like he had no idea what I was talking about. Then a knowing look came into his eyes. "If you're talking about what I said to you on the plane, I was kidding. But I am upset that you betrayed my trust Haruhi."

"I know...I'm really sorry senpai."

"I told you, you're forgiven. Now go get dressed in one of the dresses we got at the salon yesterday."

"Must I wear a wig?" I asked.

"Not today. After I go place the kimono orders and hand over the silk, we're going to spend the day in town." He smiled a little smile and I couldn't help but smile back.

An hour later, we had both gotten ready and eaten breakfast and were heading out the door with the boxes of silk. I had put on a lace and cotton sundress with matching flats and a headband. **(A/N: To see her dress, go to my profile and find the link. It's so kawaii!) **We loaded up the boxes in the trunk of the limo and headed to what Kyoya called 'the best kimono makers in the world.'

The elderly couple that were waiting in the doorway knew Kyoya right away. They laughed and joked while filling out the paperwork together. I could tell Kyoya was using his host smile the whole time but it seemed to come easier to him then when he delt with screaming female guests. As soon as they finished up, Kyoya took my hand and let me out into the busy town square. The limo was gone.

He looked at me and saw my worried look. "I told the driver to leave. Are you apposed to walking today?"

"No. That's fine." I said while looking wide eyed at the busy streets. But I was distracted by the warm hand that was laced with mine. He still hadn't let go.

"You're blushing." He stated with smirk.

I touched my cheek with my free hand. Was I really? "I am not..."

He didn't comment. He just pulled me along to a little trinket shop. They had antiques, jewelry and even books. This was exactly my kind of shop. I had my face practically pressed up against a book about ancient recipes when someone tapped my shoulder. Almost dropping the book, I spun around to find Kyoya leaning over me. "I have something for you." He stated before motioning for me to turn back around.

Raising an eyebrow, I put the book back on the shelf and turned away from him. I saw something come over my head and felt it slip onto my neck. Looking down, I saw a silver necklace with a little pearl drop as the pendant. **(A/N: See pearl necklace link on my profile.)** As soon as he fascended it, he stepped in front of me as if to take note of my reaction. "Thank you Kyoya senpai."

He nodded and took my hand again, leading me to the counter. He bought the necklace for me and we left the store to find another. We spent all day running around town and eating food from vending carts. By the time the limo came back to take us home, I was falling asleep. I remember vaguely leaning on Kyoya's shoulder during the ride home and I think I even remember Kyoya carrying me inside and laying me on the hotel room's actual bed instead of the makeshift one. I dreamed that I was flying over Kyoto and was in a really peaceful state of sleep. I was really thankful for the rare three day weekend we recieve.

But like all good things, something usually happens to put an end to them. I was woken up in the middle of the night by a loud clap of thunder. Oh no... I curled into a ball under the covers and tried to block out the noise. But the sounds kept getting louder. An especially loud clap of thunder hit and I whimpered. My noise triggered a rustling noise from the front room. A few seconds later, I felt a set of warm hands on my back.

"Haruhi. It's alright. It's just a little storm."

The room lit up so bright from the lightening outside, I could see it through the covers. I counted to five before the thunder followed. The noise made me flinch and I burrowed deeper into the covers. I felt Kyoya pick me up and sit me in his lap. He pulled the covers off my tear stained face and drapped them over the top of my head before hugging me tight. I had a feeling that if I looked in the mirror, I'd look like an eskimo the way the covers were.

"It's only a storm Haruhi. Don't be afraid." He said softly while gently rocking me in his arms. I was so confused by Kyoya's act of compassion that I forgot the storm for a second. That forgetfullness ended as quickly as it came the next time a loud clap of thunder sounded. I flinched and whimpered for several minutes until Kyoya's hushed voice and gentle hands rubbing my back soothed me into a state of semi sleep. Awake enough to hear but asleep enough that no one else knows I'm awake.

"You look so much like her Haruhi..." Is all I heard before falling into a deep sleep.


	6. Suprise Dinner

**I HOPE YOU ALL LIKED THE LAST CHAPTER. :) HERE'S ANOTHER.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.**

Haruhi's POV:

When I woke up the next morning, I felt myself pressed against something warm and firm. I wiggled enough to pull the blanket down from my head and saw that I was laying on Kyoya's chest. He had leaned his back against the headboard and held me all night long during that storm... He had fallen asleep as some point and forgot to take off his glasses.

Careful so as not to wake him, I took of his glasses and pulled away enough that he could slide down the headboard and rest his head on a pillow. He sighed but didn't wake up. I was about to get off of him and go take a shower but he sighed again and wrapped his arms around me in a steel grip.

"Oof! Kyoya...wake up sleepy. Let go of me, I can't breath." I said into his chest but instead of letting go, he just loosened his grip and mumbled unintelligably. I guess I'll just have to wait it out. He smelled really good. His cologne was intoxicating. I tried a few more times to pull away over the course of twenty minutes but he was dead asleep. On second thought, maybe it was a good thing I didn't succeed in waking him up. He could be a real ass when woken up. They don't call him the hypotensive evil lord for nothing.

I held his glasses in the hand that wasn't trapped between me and his chest and hummed softly to myself. He was staying asleep an awefully long time. My contacts weren't in so I tried putting on his glasses. I couldn't really see in them but they made everything in the room look funny. I felt Kyoya shift under me then. "Good morning." He mumbled before rolling on his side with me. He laid me on my back and let go of me. "Why are you wearing my glasses?"

I shrugged and smiled. He had bed head. I reached forward and mussed up his hair a bit before sitting up. "It's about time you woke up." I took off his glasses and handed them to him. "You wouldn't let go of me."

He blushed profusely. "I apologize..." He lookked the other way before putting on his glasses. With one adjustment, the gleaming light hid his eyes. I repressed the urge to giggle got out of bed. I picked out something to wear before going to take a shower. An hour later, we were both ready.

"What are we doing today?" I asked.

"Going home. I'll be returning to Kyoto the following week to pick up the completed kimonos."

"Ah." I mumbled. I guess that's it...no more relaxed (as relaxed as he can get) Kyoya. He seemed to seriously let his guard down during this trip. At times. We were packed and sitting on the plane in our private traveling room within three hours. I had remembered to put on the pearl necklace before leaving. I'm not sure what kind of gesture Kyoya was trying to make by giving it to me but I would treasure it.

The trip back felt like it was shorter than the trip there. I almost wished it had lasted longer. As soon as we got out of the Tokyo airport, I gave him directions and Kyoya drove me to my new apartment. "This is a nice apartment for people of the mid social class." He said. "They don't often have vacant apartments here."

"It's really nice." I admited. "I like it." I opened the car door and had just put a foot out when something in me told me to invite him in. "Would you like to come in for a cup of tea before heading home?"

He was silent at first. He stared into my eyes for a moment then past me at the apartment. "Sure. Why not?" He got out as well and locked the doors before accompanying me to the second floor apartment. I unlocked the door and turned on the front room light.

"Dad? I'm home!" I called while setting my suitcase by the table. There was no answer. Frowning, I eyed a note stuck to the fridge.

_Haruhi,_

_The girls came and took me out to lunch. If you arrive home_

_and I'm not there, I'll be back later this evening. _

_Love, Daddy_

"Your father isn't here?" Kyoya asked as he took a seat at the table.

"Nope. He's out. I guess he's getting used to using the crutches." I commented while getting the tea ready. As soon as it was done, I sat two cups on the table for Kyoya and I.

I hadn't even gotten the chance to take a sip before my phone vibrated. It was a text from Hikaru's phone.

**To: Haruhi**

**From: Hikaru**

**Hey Haruhi. Can We take you out to eat tonight. We'll assume it's a yes. **

**Be there in twenty minutes. ^.^**

I growled in frustration and slammed the phone on the table. "Is anything wrong?" Kyoya asked me before taking another drink of his tea.

"It's the twins...they're insisting on taking me out to dinner. They're going to be here in less than twenty minutes." I said with my face in my hands.

"Then I should be going." He stood up and I looked up quickly. Part of me didn't want him to leave. I could feel the inner tug that told me to ask him to stay. But I knew what would happen if he were here when the twins showed up. There would forever be gossip that I was dating the shadow king or something. I stood up with him and walked him to the door. "Bye the way Haruhi, Tamaki told the twins about your new living arangements."

I chose not to respond to what he said. I knew it would happen eventually. "Bye." I said softly, wishing I didn't have to say it. If I were being totally honest, I prefered his company over any of the hosts.

"Goodbye Haruhi. I'll see you at school tomorrow." And then he was gone. I couldn't even begin to describe how miffed I felt. Stupid twins...

Fifteen minutes later, the twins came bustling into the apartment with a dressing gown bag, a few boxes and evil smirks. "Hello Haruhi. Your father told us where the new apartment is. It's pretty nice." Kaoru said casually.

"You know what else is nice? The dress in this bag." Hikaru chimmed in with that same evil smirk. "We sorta lied. We're not the ones taking you to dinner. Your real dinner partner is waiting in his limo downstairs."

"Who is it?" I asked, truely curious. Was it Kyoya's plan? Did he intend to take me out to dinner? But I didn't see Kyoya as the type to bring the twins into plots of his considering his distaste for their games and childish behavior. So who was it then?

"We aren't telling." They said in unison. "Now put this stuff on right now and then you can go to dinner."

Not wanting them to try to dress me like last time, I took the dress bag and the three round boxes with me into my room and shut the door. I unzipped the dress bag and saw a pale green dress made of a very soft looking material. It had this criss-cross way of going over my chest and went just past my knees. It had spagetti straps and was very form fitting. It had a padded bra built in so is made me look like I actually had a chest. **(A/N: To see Haruhi's dress, go to my profile and click the link for the dress picture.)**

In one of the boxes was a pair of silver shoes, in another box was a wig with the bangs pinned back and in the final box was a slip to go under the dress. I put everything on tiredly and looked in the mirror. I guess it wasn't too bad. I even made sure I was wearing the pearl necklace just in case it was Kyoya. I went back into the front room and the twins' eyes bugged out as they smiled widely. They both did the thumbs up thing. "Nice! You look great Haruhi!" They said in unison.

"Who am I going to dinner with?" I asked again.

"Nuh-uh. No hints for her. She has to be suprised. Remember when we talked about our game?" Hikaru said.

"The game where you didn't know the rules but we did?" Kaoru added.

"Well this is part of it." Hikaru finished before shrugging. Both twins each took one of my hands and led me away from the apartment. "That's a nice necklace. Where'd you get it?" Hikaru asked me.

I tried not to blush. "I've always had it."

They looked like they didn't believe me. I've always been a horrible liar but I hoped they didn't question it further. When we got to the curb outside of the apartment complex, they took me right up to a limo and opened the door. It was dark inside the limo and whoever was in it was hidden from view. The twins helped me in the limo and shut me in before the limo began to drive away. I felt instantly nervous. "Hello?"

"Hello Haruhi darling. I hope the twins didn't annoy you too much." And then a light flicked on overhead.

"Tamaki senpai?" I nearly yelled. "Why did _you_ want to to take me out to dinner."

He seemed a little taken aback by the way I said it. "I'm sorry Haruhi." He pouted. "I just wanted to spend some quality time with my little girl."

I had to take several calming breaths to keep me from yelling at him. "I've told you a thousand times before Tamaki senpai...I'm not your daughter."

He sighed. "I know. I'm sorry...I just...I don't know how to act with you Haruhi." He said in the most serious tone I've ever heard him use. His eyes were so intense, I felt a blush creep up onto my cheeks.

"Senpai..." Before I could say anything further, the limo stopped.

"We're here Haruhi." He said with a big smile. "Please. Indulge me." He said while holding out a hand for me to take. I took it gingerly and allowed him to lead me into the way too extravagant restaurant. We were led right to a table near a balcany where the waiter helped me into my seat. We given menues and a bowl of some kind of dip was placed on the table with little club crackers surounding the dip on the plate beneath it and we were given wine glasses with some kind of pink bubbly drink in it.

"I hope you don't mind a French restaurant Haruhi. It's a favorite of mine." Tamaki said sheepishly.

I smiled politely at him and scooped some of the dark colored dip on the cracker. "What kind of dip is this?" I asked the waiter as I took a bite of it.

"Caviar madame. Fish eggs." The waiter answered.

My eyes went wide and I resisted the urge to heave with all my might. I quickly chewed and swallowed it. Tamaki spoke to the waiter in French and the waiter nodded his head before taking the plate and bowl away. Another waiter came with a plate of little danish looking things with a little bowl of jelly stuff. "This should taste better. It's currant jam. I'm sorry Haruhi. I didn't know you disliked caviar."

"It's alright senpai. It's not your fault." I put some of the jelly on one of danishes with the spoon provided and took a bite. This tasted significantly better. "So what's good here?" I asked while looking at the menu.

"If you'd like, I'll order for you." Tamaki offered and I nodded. The waiter came back and Tamaki spoke in perfect French. "Nous aurons le Canard à l'orange canard rôti avec sauce. Deux." **(A/N: He's ordering roast duck with orange sauce for them. Two orders.)**

The waiter wrote down the order and rushed away. After a few awkward minutes of silence where we both sipped on our drinks, Tamaki smiled shyly. "Are you having fun?"

"Yeah." I lied. Truth-be-told, I was both uncomfortable and very tired. I was finally feeling that jet lag from the flight. Could you even feel jet lag on such a short flight. "Why exactly did you want to take me out to dinner Tamaki senpai?"

Tamaki suprised me by blushing. "Um...I-"

"Dinner is served!" The waiter said loudly before placing the food on the table. It looked pretty good. I guess I could ask Tamaki what he was going to say later.

The rest of dinner was silent as the grave. We didn't speak to eachother until we were in the limo. "I hope dinner was enjoyable Haruhi."

"It was..." I whispered. I was practically falling asleep right now. Tamaki walked me to the door at the apartment and for a full thirty seconds, we stood there staring at eachother, Tamaki with some unknown emotion and me trying to figure out what that emotion was. "Thank you again senpai."

He nodded and his hand darted out, he froze a few inches from my face and then reached forward to stroke my cheek. He ripped his arm back and rushed away. Feeling confused, I opened up the apartment and saw my dad watching tv in the living room. "Welcome back Haruhi. How was dinner."

"It was fine." I answered numbly. "I'm going to bed." I went to my room and pulled off my shoes and wig. I carefully put the pearl necklace on my dresser and changed into some pjs before crawling into bed. I was so exhausted, I fell instantly asleep.


	7. Confused

**THANK YOU ALL FOR READING MY STORY AND REVIEWING. :) IT MEANS A LOT TO ME TO READ YOUR REVIEWS.**

**I'M REALLY SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO PUT UP ANOTHER CHAPTER. FIRST, I GOT AN EAR INFECTION AND STOMACH FLU TYPE THING AND WAS BEDRIDDEN FOR A WEEK, THEN I WENT THROUGH SOME EMOTIONAL JUNK SO YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO UPDATE. O.o**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. PLEASE ENJOY!**

Haruhi's POV:

I was walking in the forest. The moon was shining brightly through the branches of the trees above me and lit my way, making the walk pleasant and relaxing. At the end of the little walkway in the forest, I saw a fork in the road with a sign pointing in both directions. One sign said 'Safe' and one said 'Dangerous'. I didn't understand it so I stood at the fork trying to stare down both paths to see what I saw. Down the path titled safe, there was bright light, green trees and Tamaki standing at the end. Down the other path was purple rose bushes, a lonley looking bench and Kyoya standing at the end of the path.

"Haruhi! Come to me! It'll be easier this way." Tamaki beckoned. "I won't turn you away or ever hurt you. It'll be safer this way."

"It's a challenge to be with me Haruhi but once you've succeeded, your efforts will be rewarded." Kyoya almost purred. "After all, nothing in my life comes or goes without merit."

"I don't understand!" I called to both of them.

"I'm the safest option for you Haruhi! You'll never get hurt and I'll keep you safe from everything!" Tamaki tried to persuade me.

"To get to my heart is difficult Haruhi but to never try to fight for what you want would be to never live. What's life without a little risk after all?" Kyoya spoke softly but loud enough for me to hear. I could see a smirk on his face.

I watched in awe as the once lonley bench was now occupied by the girl from Kyoya's photos. It was Arisu. Her hazel eyes looked right into my very soul it seemed. I shook my head to clear it. "I can't be a replacement for Arisu, Kyoya!" I yelled and tried to walk towards Tamaki but every step I took made me feel colder and more alone. I finally sunk to my knees and wrapped my arms around myself.

I tried to catch my breath as I looked in Kyoya's direction. He looked so emotionless judging by his face but judging by his eyes, his emotions were alive and almost panicked. He shook his head and motioned for me to come forward with his hand.

"Please Haruhi..." Kyoya and Tamaki both said at the same time. Before I could respond, my alarm clock sounded almost deafeningly.

"Ugh..." Stupid clock...just when I was beginning to try to make sense of the dream. I pulled the covers off me and got up to take a shower. When I was dressed in my school uniform, I went into the front room to find my dad standing at the stove with a crutch in one hand and a spatula in the other. "Dad! I can cook for you. The doctor said you shouldn't be on your leg."

"Oh pish posh. I'm just fine. Sit at the table and you can have some pancakes for breakfast." I was about to argue with him but he looked rather determined so I sat down at the table. "So how was the trip? Did you have fun?"

"Yeah. It was great. Sorry I didn't get around to getting you that silk robe."

"Kyoya phoned me and informed me it would arrive by mail in a couple days along with something for you." My dad told me while putting a stack of pancakes on my plate.

"Something for me? What?"

"He said it was a suprise. He wouldn't even tell me." My father said with a little flip of his newly blonde hair as he sat to eat his own breakfast.

"Did you get any trinkets while you were there? I unpacked your suitcase for you last night. I saw you had a couple new dresses."

"Uh, thank you. You didn't have to. And no. No trinkets." I lied as the pearl necklace hidden under my uniform suddenly felt a ton heavier. "I gotta get to school."

"Alright. On the bright side, the school is in walking distance now." My father chirped while cleaning up the breakfast dishes.

"Uh-huh. Try to stay off that leg as much as possible dad. You don't want to have to go back to the hospital." I told him before leaving and starting my walk to Ouran. When I got there, I had plenty of time left so I went to the music room to see if anyone was there. To my luck, Kyoya was sitting at one of the tables with his laptop open. "Good morning senpai."

"Good morning Haruhi. Did you sleep well?"

"Uh, yeah." No need to mention I had just dreamt about him. "You?"

"I slept fine." I stated almost shortly. I looked closely at his eyes. He had bags under them and his eyes were almost dialated looking.

"Doesn't look or sound like you did." I said softly before sitting my book bag on a nearby table. I leaned over his shoulder to look at the screen. It was the budget for the upcoming event. The one we would all wear kimonos for. "My kimono is blue?" I asked.

"Part of it. It's made of a few colors. You'll be cosplaying as a woman for this event."

"Senpai, I don't think that's a good idea. What if people find out..."

"They won't." He said, interupting me. He looked over his shoulder and into my eyes. "You look tired."

"So do you." I said. Without really thinking, I reached past him and shut his laptop. Before he could react, I took off his glasses and folded them before sitting them on his laptop. "It would do you good to rest your eyes senpai."

"That was very untoward of you Haruhi." He stated which made me blush.

"It was...I'm sorry." I looked down and bowed my head as a way of apologizing.

"Haruhi." He called my name softly. I felt his hand go under my chin and lift up my face. He stared at me with those same emotion filled eyes. He stood up and peered down at me, never letting go of my face so as to not give me the chance to look away.

"Yes senpai?" I asked rather shakilly.

"Why do you call me senpai? We've known eachother long enough that you can drop the formality."

"Alright...Kyoya." I bit my lip after I said his name. It really tasted sweet on my lips.

He smirked. "Say it again."

I gave him a confused look. "Say what again?"

"My name. Your mouth looks so seductive when you say it."

My face lit up like like fireworks. Where was this new attitude of his coming from? Am I still dreaming? "Kyoya?" His name came out as a question.

His eyes dropped lower than my lips. He reached forward and touched my neck. I felt the necklace come free of my shirt. When his hand came back, he was holding the pearl necklace by the pearl. "You're wearing it."

"Yes..."

"Good." His smile was definately a smirk but it looked almost like a genuine smile. He reached behind him and grabbed his glasses. Putting them on, he let go of my chin and necklace and allowed me to drop my still blushing face to stare at my shoes.

"It's almost classtime Haruhi. I suggest you head over to your class." He told me as he scooped up his laptop.

He started to walk away and a bubble of panic rose in me. "Kyoya!" I called a little too loudly.

He turned halfway around and raised an eyebrow in my direction. "Yes?"

"You..." I sighed. "You make me feel very confused Kyoya." I admitted before looking up at him.

He stood five feet away from me, staring with those same eyes that made my heart race. After a long silence, he finally smirked and walked towards me. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. "That's the objective Haruhi."

He then left the room. I stood there for several minutes, trying to calm down my breathing and blushing face. I tucked my necklace back in and when I deemed myself presentable, I ran to class as fast as my legs would carry me. I made it just in time and took me seat in between the twins. They both raised an eyebrow. "What took you Haruhi? You look flushed?" Hikaru commented and Kaoru nodded.

"I was a little late to school so I had to run to class." I said softly, keeping my eyes locked at the front of the classroom.

"How were you late? You live a block away from the school now?" Kaoru commented quietly.

"I slept in." I said, not looking away from the front of the room so they wouldn't see the lies all over my face.

They didn't press the matter after that. At lunch we all headed to the cafeteria. "We insist Haruhi! Let Hikaru and I buy your lunch today. You'll really like the food they serve to the main students."

I sighed. "You already spent enough money on me last night with the stupid dress."

"On the contrary, we spent no money at all on you. It all came from my mother's private beauty collection. She just designed that dress you wore. Did you like it?" Hikaru stated matter-o-factly.

"Uh yeah. It was pretty."

"So let us buy you lunch. It will be no trouble at all." Kaoru begged and I sighed.

"Fine. I'll have whatever you guys are having." I said before waving my hand and walking towards our lunch table. Honey and Mori were already sitting down and enjoying their lunch. Honey had two trays. One with regular food and one overflowing with sweets. Tamaki and Kyoya were just sitting down as the twins came with our food. They sat down at the end of the table so the only space left was either by Tamaki or the spot by Kyoya. Oh boy...was real life gonna give me choices too?

I tried to make the gesture look casual as I sat beside Kyoya. Tamaki looked a little sad about it but he didn't question it. The twins ended up getting me some kind of Italian tray. It had some kind of pasta, some breadsticks, a couple things of sauce, a piece of french bread with butter, some kind of danish and a bottle with foreign writing. It was some kind of pink bubbly drink that reminded me of what I drank last night at the restaurant with Tamaki.

"Hi everyone." I said awkwardly.

"Hey Haruhi." Everyone verbally replied in various ways except for Kyoya. But it was his response that I noticed the most. His dark eyes darted in my direction and the look he gave me sent chills down my spine. The good kind of chills that linger for a few delicious moments.

"I took Haruhi out to dinner last night." Tamaki proclaimed proudly.

"That sounds nice. Did you have fun Haru chan? What kind of food did you eat? Were there any sweets?" Honey went on and I did my best to respond to all his questions. I noticed that Kyoya was very withdrawn. He had pushed his tray aside and was typing away on his laptop. I also noticed that he never once brought up the trip to Kyoto. I guess it was his intention to not let any of the hosts know I was his guest for the Kyoto trip.

Kyoya had a very faint and almost not there look of irritation on his face as Tamaki went on and on about our dinner 'date' last night. In fact, if I didn't know any better, he seemed almost...jealous? Did that mean that the all knowing Kyoya didn't even know about Tamaki's dinner invitation? That's odd. I figured Tamaki told Kyoya everything. They were best friends after all.

As I thought the words 'best friends', a weight settled in my stomach. I wasn't very wise on the basics of crushes and feelings and junk but it seemed to me that both Kyoya and Tamaki were persuing me. With them being best friends, if I were to choose either of them, it could destroy their friendship... I honestly didn't want that. Could I not show interest in Kyoya like I wanted to just to salvage their friendship? Or should I follow my heart? If that was even what my heart was telling me. Was that what my dream meant when it said Kyoya was dangerous? That he would break my heart?

Before I could ponder on it anymore, Hikaru snapped his fingers in front of my face. "Haruhi! Quit zoning out space cadet. You need to hurry and eat. Class starts soon."

I blushed and set right to work on finishing my lunch. After lunch, I thanked both of the twins for buying it for me and I headed towards class. I ended up stopping at the girl's restroom first and as I was exiting it to head back to class, I heard hushed tones approaching me. I ducked back into the bathroom and listened to the unmistakable voices of Hikaru and Kaoru. I peeked through a little crack in the door as they stopped right in front of the door to talk.

"She's not going with the plan Kaoru. She's showing interest in someone else." Hikaru said shortly, looking flustered.

"If that's what she wants then we can't force her decision. That's the point of the game." Kaoru tried to console Hikaru.

"But her and the boss are MADE for eachother Kaoru. He's in love with her and I know that if we could give them the chance, she'd love him too." Hikaru complained.

"I still say their personalities clash. She fits better with Kyoya. They're both very inteligent and they have the same views on the world in many ways. When you really think about it, there are no other people Kyoya is suited for." Kaoru argued his side and I nearly fainted.

So that was their game...Hikaru wanted me to end up with Tamaki and Kaoru wanted me to end up with Kyoya...I bet they were even taking bets on it all...How could they? "You jerks!" I screamed before I could control my temper. I swung the bathroom door open and stomped into the hall to confront the twins. "So I'm some kind of bet for you two? You try to decide my future? Kyoya or Tamaki?"

The twins both looked like deers in headlights but I wasn't even near done on my yelling tyrade. "What were you two thinking? How could you do this to me..."

They frowned with very sorry eyes. "We were thinking we wanted you to be happy." Kaoru sighed. "We knew you needed a man in your life and we both had our own opinions on which one would fit best. I thought Kyoya was best so I kept Tamaki and other possible callers off your back while Kyoya took you to Kyoto. And yes, we know. We overheard you talking about trip preparations one club meetings before you went."

After Kaoru finished explaining, Hikaru took a careful step forward. "And I helped Tamaki plan the romantic dinner. But according to your guy's distance, we're guessing it went less than perfect. We really are sorry that we did this...the game is over. It's up to you to decide which one makes you happy. We're out of it." They both put their hands up and took a couple steps back.

"You don't have to forgive us Haruhi but we truely are sorry. We never meant to hurt you." Kaoru whispered and they both bowed formally before walking towards class.

I stood there long past the bell for the start of class. I felt sick to my stomach and I didn't want to face the twins for the rest of the day. I went to the nurse's office and told her I felt ill so she'd let me lay down and skip class. I laid on the little couch with a cold rag on my forehead for the rest of school. "Mr. Fugioka, school is over now. You can go home." The nurse told me and I reluctantly got up. I had to handle club activities first before I could go home...

Things would be kinda slow this week and that was my only relief. Then at the end of the week, the kimonos would have already arrived and we'd do the big event. When I arrived at the club room, everyone was rushing around, trying to fix things up for the company. "There you are!" Honey senpai said excitedly. "Hika chan and Kao chan said you weren't in class."

"Yeah...I got sick and laid down in the nurse's office."

"Aww! Haru chan is sick! She should be allowed to go home and lay down." Honey said firmly in his childish little voice.

"No it's fine Honey senpai. I'm feeling better already." I took my place at my table and awaited the guests. The club meeting went by rather quickly. The guests came and went and I was permitted to walk home. Unfortunately, I saw that it was raining. I tried to wait it out before walking home but half an hour later, the rain was still falling. At least it wasn't a thunderstorm. I hid while watching all the other club members and club guests going home and as soon as I thought the coast was clear, I tried to head home with my bookbag over my head.

"Haruhi!" Someone called. I turned around to see Kyoya approaching me with an umbrella. He held it over my head as well as his own. "Were you really going to walk home in this weather?"

"Uh..." But that's all I got out before kyoya swooped an arm around my waist and held the umbrella over us both.

"I'll give you a ride home." He said so firmly, I couldn't question it. A limo was waiting at the front gate. He helped me in and got in himself, setting the closed, wet umbrella on the floor.

"You really didn't have to senpai. I only live a block away from the school."

"It takes no time at all for someone to get a cold. We wouldn't want you getting sick and missing a bunch of club activities."

I repressed the urge to scowl at him. "Of course that's the only reason you don't want me getting sick..." I whispered before peeking at his face out of the corner of my eye. He looked frustrated.

"Don't make assumptions Haruhi." He said softly but his voice was full of annoyed frustration.

"Sorry..." I mumbled, looking out the window as we pulled in front of my apartment. Kyoya picked up the umbrella and walked me to my door with his arm around my waist. For reasons unknown to me, this contact was pleasant and I savored it. At the door, I unlocked it and stepped inside. "Do you want something warm to drink before you head home?" I asked.

"No, that's alright." He answered but neither of us made an effort to move. I dropped my book bag on the little table by the door without dropping our gaze. He took in a careful breath and took a step closer but froze suddenly. "Goodbye. See you at school tomorrow." And then he was gone, rushing towards his limo.

I stared after him with confused eyes until he was out of sight. When I shut the door and turned around, my father was staring at me with serious eyes. "So you've chosen?"

"Huh?" I said, confused.

"Have you chosen someone? Have you chosen Kyoya?"

Angry that he seemed to be on the same wavelength as the twins, I glared at the floor. "I havn't chosen anyone." I snapped before grabbing my bookbag and running to my room. Slamming the door shut, I locked it and slid down the wall before crying out all my frustration. Frustration for Tamaki, Kyoya, the twins' plot, my father's seeming knowledge of the plot and my inability to choose... For once in my life, I had no idea what my next step was...


	8. What I Want

**IS IT WEIRD FOR ME TO SAY I ENJOYED WRITING THAT LAST CHAPTER? IT HAD SO MUCH EMOTION IN IT AND I QUITE ENJOYED TRYING TO CONVEY IT ALL FROM HARUHI'S POV WHILE STILL SHOWING THE EMOTIONS OF THE OTHER CHARACTERS.**

**DISCLAIMER: SEE ALL THE OTHER CHAPTERS.**

**!SPECIFIC SONGS: While trying to gain inspiration to finish this chapter, I found a couple incredible songs that for some reason, helps me think of what Kyoya and Haruhi think in light of everything that's happened between them.**

**1) Artist: Ellie Goulding**

**Song: This Love Will Be Your Downfall**

**2) Artist: Ingrid Machaelson**

**Song: Turn To Stone**

Haruhi's POV:

**To: Haruhi**

**From: Hikaru**

**We're sorry Haruhi...We're so sorry...**

**To: Haruhi**

**From: Kaoru**

**Please don't get mad at Tamaki or Kyoya. Neither of them knew about the game...**

**Sorry again...text me...**

**To: Haruhi**

**From: Hikaru**

**Please text back Haruhi...We'll never do it again...We swear...**

**To: Haruhi**

**From: Kaoru**

**I guess you won't be texting back tonight...See you in class tomorrow. *hugs* Sleepwell.**

**To: Haruhi**

**From: Hikaru**

**Fine then...be that way...We really are sorry Haruhi. We were only trying to**

**do what's best for you. See you in class...**

**To: Haruhi**

**From: Tamaki**

**Feel better princess! Daddy will see you at the club meeting tomorrow.**

**To: Haruhi**

**From: Hikaru**

**PLEASE TEXT BAAAAAACCCKKKK!**

**To: Haruhi**

**From: Hikaru**

**Sorry...sleepwell...**

I sighed. This is getting ridiculous...Even my dad slipped a little apology note under the door last night saying he's sorry for anything he did to upset me but that he didn't understand my sudden temper. I guess he isn't aware of the twin's plans...Not entirely at least. I didn't get to sleep until a little after half past midnight. My dreams were fuzzy and not very vivid so I didn't really remember them when I woke up. I took a shower and put on my uniform and shoes. I eyed the pearl necklace on my dresser. Should I wear it again?

Deciding to leave it to fate, I took out a 500 yen coin and tossed it in the air. Number side, I'd wear it, leaf side, I'd leave it where it was. I caught the coin and took a deep breath before opening my palm. It's out of my hands now...fate decided. I took the necklace and put it on, carefully tucking it into my shirt. I rushed out the door with a quick excuse to my dad that I was meeting someone this morning. I didn't think I could stomach breakfast anyway. As I left the complex, I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the limo out front. Oh boy...

The window rolled down and Tamaki popped his head out, wearing a pair of shades. "Want a ride to school princess?"

Frowning but not wanting to be rude, I got in the limo and let him take me the block to school. "You really didn't have to senpai..."

"I know. I wanted to." He said kindly, that same innocent smile on his face.

"Thank you..." I mumbled as we got out at the school and walked inside the high school building. I waved goodbye and went right to class. I was so lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed the day go by. I ignored the twins all day and they weren't happy about that at all. Eventually, it was my study period so I headed to the music room to work on the homework I had neglected to do last night. After I finished my homework, I still had fifteen minutes of free period so I pulled out a book I had checked out from the library last week. It was called the Makioka Sisters. Halfway through the first chapter, I heard the music room door open and close.

I peeked out from my spot on one of the window couches and saw Kyoya sitting down to use his laptop. "Hey Kyoya." I whispered.

"Haruhi. Why is it you're always here on the days I decide to use the music room?" He said in a joking manner.

I shrugged and put away my things before walking over to him. "What are you up to?" I asked.

"Managing the club's website." I replied offhandedly before patting his knee. I stared at him for a moment before he looked up at me and patted his knee again.

"Do you want me to sit?" I asked and he nodded. I fought the blush that was coming to the best of my ability as he reached out and pulled me into his lap. I focused my eyes on his laptop screen so I wouldn't have to look at his face. He was writing down another advertisment for the big event. "How many people are we expecting for this event Kyoya?"

"At least a few hundred. It's going to a very big deal for the club." He answered and continued to type with the hand that wasn't wrapped around my waist.

"Wow." I mumbled.

"Haruhi? Does sitting on my lap like this make you uncomfortable?" Kyoya asked me and I looked at the floor. He grabbed my chin gently and made me look at him. "Does it?" He said softly.

"No...I'm more afraid of how it makes me feel than anything else..." I said and wanted to bite my tongue. I always said too much with Kyoya.

"How does it make you feel Haruhi?" He asked me and I tried to drop my eyes. "Please look at me."

I sighed, feeling helpless. I looked up again. "It makes me feel strange...Like I just might..."

He urged me to continue with his eyes but my words died in my throat at the sound of the bell. School was over and It was time for the club activities to begin soon. Kyoya let go of my chin and gently helped me stand up. A few seconds later, the other club members came bustling in. Once again, I was seriously out of it. By the time I paid any real attention, the club meeting was over and I was walking home. At least it wasn't raining.

I was in a world of my own for the remainder of the afternoon and evening. By the time I was ready for bed, I was still trying to sort through my emotions. What did I really want? Did I want to be with Kyoya? Was that wise? I had no idea. I fell asleep and I was back on that moonlit forest path. I came to the fork in the road and like the last time, Kyoya and Tamaki gave me my choice. This time, I was practically drug towards Kyoya with some inner magnetic force. The closer I came to him, the happier I felt. Just as I was passing the bench that Arisu was sitting on, I woke up.

I let out a strangled growl from my frustration. I'm so sick of that dang alarm clock ringing at the most inopportune times. My morning was much the same as yesterday. I got ready, I flipped a coin, I put on and hid the necklace as I rushed out the door. This time, I clearly saw the worry in my dad's eyes as I passed. I was afraid of running into someone I know this time so I carefully peeked out the gate of the apartment complex while staying hidden. No limo in sight. I ran for the school and chose to go to the rose garden. I round a little gazebo table and tried to read until school.

In the end, I got distracted and spent the entire time thinking about all my time spent with Kyoya. It was becoming clearer and clearer what I wanted. I wanted to be with Kyoya...but something in my mind, heart and even my dreams told me that was an unwise decision. When I got to class, both of the twins looked very depressed.

"Hey guys." I said softly and they both broke into huge grins.

"And she speaks!" They both yelled and ran to hug me to death. They had to be told to let me go by the teacher. "We're so sorry Haruhi!" They yelled again and I shushed them while pointing to the front of the room.

They both pretended to zip their mouths without breaking their huge grins. It was almost downright contagious the way they were smiling. For once in the past week, I actually enjoyed class. The twins and I joked around and helped eachother with asignments (more like I helped them) just like old times. I even went to one of the more crowded libraries with them for my study period for once instead of seeking a quiet place.

I checked in all my books and looked around for something good to read. I ended up finding a book with what looked like a black winged fallen angel on the front. It was titled Hush Hush. I took it to the front and placed it on the check-out counter. "This one is a good one Mr. Fujioka. It was originally written by an English author and was translated to Japanese. Please enjoy."

Tucking the book inside my bookbag, I said goodbye to the twins and went to walk around the school. While going down one of the back stairways, I looked out the large bay window in interest. Kyoya and Tamaki were outside talking to one another. Wait. Not just talking. Judging by the way their shoulders were tensed and how big Tamaki's arm movements were, it almost looked like they were argueing. Uh oh... I hope they're not fighting about me...I reached over to a little section of the window out of sight and opened it slowly to listen.

"Why are you trying to do this to me? She would have had no trouble getting to like me if you hadn't..." Tamaki stopped speaking, either in anger or something else.

Kyoya spoke in such a soft voice and manner, I couldn't hear anything he said.

Tamaki's shoulders relaxed. "Wait...you mean you aren't interested in her? Really? You promise?"

I couldn't hear Kyoya's response but I knew it was somewhere along the lines of 'I promise' judging by Tamaki's sudden spirit lift.

Tamaki hugged Kyoya. "I'm so sorry for fighting with you! I promise never to make assumptions again!" Then he ran off, leaving a still tense looking Kyoya standing near the old large pond. I sighed, my heart aching dully. Of course it didn't matter to Tamaki what I wanted, he'd try to determine who I ended up with just like the twins...As if my pain and frustration was tangible, Kyoya looked right up in my direction.

Gasping, I hid. Did he see me? I got up stifly and rushed for the music room. Club activities were beginning soon. When I got there, the twins were already there attempting to make instant ramen again. "Haruhiiiiii! We can't get it." The both pouted and I went over to help them make it.

During the club meeting, Kyoya didn't once look in my direction, not even to check my daily performance. I was beginning to feel panicked and I couldn't explain why. Was he actually going to push his interest in me aside for Tamaki's sake? But I didn't want that...Didn't it matter what I want? By the end of the club, I was practically glaring daggers at Tamaki and Kyoya both.

Tamaki is a great friend of mine and I wouldn't ever want to lose his friendship but how dare he try to make Kyoya back off...And Kyoya actually listened to him! I knew I didn't want to push Kyoya aside either. Something told me that to lose Kyoya would be to endure great emotional pain. As the last guests left, everyone just laid around and did their own thing. The twins were reading a magazine, Tamaki was practicing his speech for the big event, Honey and Mori were at the dessert table and Kyoya was typing away at his laptop at his usual table.

I sat at my table for a few minutes thinking but every second I spent sitting there made me want to go and talk to Kyoya more and more. Finally fed up, I took out a piece of paper and wrote.

**Kyoya,**

**We need to talk. Meet me at the gazebo in the rose garden**

**after everyone else goes home.**

Folding the note up tightly, I slung my bookbag over my shoulder and passed by Kyoya to get to the door. I stopped long enough to put the note on his laptop keyboard before saying my goodbyes to everyone and leaving. I ran as fast as I could for the rose garden and sat at the gazebo to await Kyoya's visit. I listened in the distance for the sound of limos pulling up to pick everyone up but it mixed in too much with the other traffic and I couldn't tell. Eventually, I heard footsteps in the distance.

I took a deep, calming breath as Kyoya came into view. He looked dead serious and it made me feel sick to my stomach. He sat at the other side of the gazebo's table and stared me down. "What did you need to talk to me about?"

All the words I had inwardly practiced saying felt like they were flying right out through my ears. "Um..." I began and had to swallow. "Tamaki talked to you."

"Yes." He said emotionlessly.

"About me."

"Yes."

"And you've lied and told him you have no interest in me."

"Yes I did."

"Why?" I asked, not sure what else to say.

"Because I don't have any interest in you." He stated with those same emotionless eyes. Where was the fire I saw over the past week?

I had to swallow again. "You're lying."

"No. I'm not."

"You're lying Kyoya! I know you like me! You've done nothing but show how much you like me for the past week just about!" I know it was childish to yell but I was desperate and I hated how he could pull my heart around so easily.

"If I've shown you any kindness that had mislead you Haruhi, I apologize for that. But the point still stands that I don't like you that way."

"You're...you're only saying that for Tamaki's sake! That isn't fair to me!" I stood up and stared him down. "I don't like Tamaki, Kyoya. I like you and I know you like me so stop lying!"

He stood up and walked towards me until he and I were a few inches apart. He leaned down and stared into my face with the coldest eyes I've ever seen. I shivered. "Haruhi. I. Don't. Like. You. I never did and I never will. Get over it." He leaned away and walked out of the rose garden.

For once in my life, I felt the true vulnerability of the female heart and I collapsed on the ground with my arms wrapped around myself. He never cared? How do people do this to people? And their friends no less...It took close to an hour before I had the will to get off the ground and walk home. The school was so dark now. When I got home, my dad looked worried sick.

"There you are!" He yelled in a very masculine, father-like voice. "Where the hell have you been young lady? I was calling all the hosts and none of them had seen you for a couple hours."

I repressed the urge to wimper. Of course Kyoya would lie and tell everyone he hadn't seen me. "I'm sorry. I was working on a homework assignment."

"How? The school doors closed over an hour ago." He said with suspicious eyes.

"I was in the rose garden." Even I could here how monotone my voice was.

Whatever my father saw on my face startled him and he rushed to hug me. "Haruhi. What happened?"

"Nothing happened dad." I tried to reasure him but the lie was so plain in my voice I wished I hadn't spoke.

"Something happened. You look like an emotional wreck."

"I'm fine!" I screamed before jerking away from him and running to lock myself in my room. Throwing myself on my bed, I cried it all out.

My dad banged on the door and tried to persuade me to come out for a good twenty minutes before giving up. The sun had gone down by now and I stared out at the now drizzling rain from my window. At least I had stopped crying. A couple hours later, I heard my dad shut himself in his room for the night. What had become of me? Was this the kind of behavior you exibited when you liked someone? This frustration, this anger, this pain? I'm snapping at everyone I care about lately...

By the time I woke up, it had stopped raining and I felt like there was a brick or two laying on my back. I couldn't bring myself to get up at all. At fifteen till start of school, my dad knocked on the door. "Should I call the school and let them know you'll be absent today?"

"Yes." I spoke just loud enough for him to hear and covered my head with my comforter. My dad offered me breakfast but I politely declined.

Around noon, my dad knocked on the door. "Haruhi, the girls are taking me out again. Will you be alright by yourself?"

"I'll be fine."

"Alright. I'll be back late this evening. Be good and try to eat something." As soon as he was gone, I pulled the comforter off me and went into the kitchen to heat up some leftover stew from a couple nights ago. I ate slowly, not wanting to push my stomach too hard when I just started to get over the nausia. I found my phone still in my bookbag by the door and went through my text messages.

**To: Haruhi**

**From: Hikaru**

**Hey Haruhi. It's both of us. Just wanting to check on you. **

**Your dad called earlier. He sounded worried.**

**To: Haruhi**

**From : Hikaru**

**Hey! Call or message or something. You've got us all worried.**

**To: Haruhi**

**From: Tamaki**

**Haruhi! Please call daddy! I'm worried about my little girl!**

**To: Haruhi**

**From: Kaoru**

**If you don't text back by tomorrow after school, we're sending a search**

**party out.**

**To: Haruhi**

**From: Honey**

**Haru chan! We are all worried. :'(**

I sighed and made a reply to send to everyone who texted.

**To: Hikaru, Kaoru, Honey and Tamaki**

**From : Haruhi**

**Guys, I'm fine. Relax. I've just been sick. I'll try to be in school**

**tomorrow. Ttyl.**

I'm really starting to regret allowing the twins to buy me a phone. After finishing my bowl of stew, I cleaned my dishes and put them on a towel to dry. What to do now...A shower sounded nice. I got a couple towels and headed to the bathroom. Sitting my phone on the counter, I got undressed and was about to get in the shower but the phone buzzed. I was about to ignore it but it buzzed again. I looked over at it. It's a phone call. From Kyoya!

I grabbed the phone and answered it. "Hello?" I said a little too loudly but all I got was silence. "Hello? Are you there Kyoya?"

Before he said anything in response, he hung up. I pulled the phone away and stared at it in disbelief. Did he butt dial me or something? I sighed and slammed the phone back on the counter before getting in the shower. The warm water relaxed my muscles and helped me think a bit. I noticed that I didn't get angry or sad about his call. I was really happy that he was calling. But it was obviously an accidental call so it didn't matter...

After the water ran cold, I got out and put on some clean pajamas and carried my phone with me back into my room. What was there to do at 3:30 in the afternoon on a school day? I couldn't really leave the apartment or everyone would see I had stayed home and was already out and about. Or maybe I could. Regular school was over. If I ran to the school now, I could be there for club activities. But the school had that thing about missing school and showing up for after school stuff...

I laid down on the bed and thought seriously of messaging Kyoya but eventually decided against it. He probably didn't want to hear from me anyway. I sat the phone on my bedside table and curled into a ball. This is absolutely pathetic. How on earth did I let a guy get to me this way? By nightfall, I was just itching to take a walk or do SOMETHING productive. Maybe I could use the pool. I put on the white two piece the twins had given me as a gift from their mother's collection. Grabbing a towel and my cellphone, I ran out to the pool.

Nobody was around so I had the chance to swim alone. The pool lights and street lights lit the pool area up brightly. Putting my feet in the shallow end, I let myself get used to the temperature of the water before sliding in. It felt like a heated pool. Almost like bath water. After a few laps around the pool, I heard a twig snap and a jolt of fear went through me. My dad had warned me of the sickos that creeped around at night.

I hid at the corner of the deep end with only my eyes peeking out. Who on earth is out there? I heard something rustle closeby. Whoever it was, they were heading in this direction. I lifted myself up and took a big breath before sliding under the water. I held perfectly still. Unless they looked directly into the pool in my direction, they wouldn't notice me. I heard the footsteps nearing the edge of the pool and I tensed up.

I had to supress the urge to scream my head off when whoever it was took my shoulders and lifted me right up as if I weighed nothing. The urge to scream increased ten fold when I saw it was Kyoya. "Kyoya!" I yelled and he shushed me.

He pulled me from the water and sat me on my feet next to him. He stared me down with those emotion filled eyes I had begun to seriously miss. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

I didn't respond. I didn't want to and I thought it wise to not forgive him for what he did to me. "You led me on senpai. How could you do that to me?"

His eyes looked pained for once. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" I said incredulously.

"I'm very...very..._very_ sorry Haruhi. What I did was unforgivable. But you have to understand why I did what I did."

"You should've stopped trying once I told you I had no interest in Tamaki. Did you ever really mean the things you did senpai?"

"We're back to senpai now?" He tried to joke but when I didn't respond, he sighed. "My feelings are as they appeared during the past few days."

"And that means you like me, yes?" I asked him slowly, carefully.

"Yes." He admitted, his mouth taut. "But it doesn't matter. I won't ruin anyone's friendship by acting on it. I shouldn't have ever given you reason to believe I would. And for that, I apologize."

I looked down, blinking back tears. "So that's it? We like eachother but you won't be with me so you can spare Tamaki's feelings?"

"It has to be that way." He said firmly.

"But that's not fair..." I mumbled and wished I hadn't. It was childish.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you? Life's not fair." He said bitterly.

"What if I went to Tamaki and explained things to him..." I started to say but he held a hand up to silence me.

"It can't work that way." He said in an attempt of a soothing voice.

I bit my lip until I tasted blood. Kyoya reached out and touched my lip with his index finger until I relaxed. He dropped his hand and pulled me in for a comfort hug. He didn't seem to mind that I was still soaking wet from swimming. I hugged him back with all my might but the hug still lasted less time than I wanted it to. "Do you want to come inside for a bit?" I asked, more out of sheer want than any kind of common courtesy.

He looked in the direction of my apartment. "Yes. I'll come inside."

I smiled ruefully and grabbed my stuff before heading back to the apartment with him. He took a seat at the table and I went to put some tea on to boil. "I'll go get dressed real quick." I said before running to my room. I dressed in my pajamas from earlier and brushed my hair. I was about to leave but I spotted the pearl necklace sitting on the dresser. I should probably give it back to him...it would be weird to keep it after everything.

I grabbed it and went to put the tea into some cups. I handed him his cup and took a sip of mine before putting the necklace on the table. "Here."

He frowned. "You don't want it anymore?"

"It's not that. It's just that I thought it would be weird of me to keep it in light of everything."

He stood up and picked up the necklace and for a split second, I feared he would leave right now. Instead, he walked behind me and put the necklace around my neck. He frascined it and went to take his seat across from me again. "It was a gift. It's for you to keep."

I smiled softly but tried to hide it by taking a drink of my tea. "Thank you."

He didn't respond. He just took another sip of tea and stared past me into the living room. After a minute, he looked back at me. "Where's your father?"

"Out with the girls. He'll be home late this evening he said." I was silent for a moment until I got an idea. "Um, Kyoya? We're friends right?"

He gave me a funny look. "I would think so."

"Friends watch movies together. Do you want to watch one with me?" I asked, pointed towards the living room.

He looked past me for a second. "Sure. Why not?"

We both finished our tea and then headed into the living room. I sorted through all the movies we had but I had no idea what kind of movies Kyoya would like. I almost jumped when I felt someone's breath on my neck. I turned my head and saw him on his knees, looking through the movies with me. He picked up one of my favorites. "I used to watch this when I was young." He told me.

"I did too." I smiled and put the movie into the dvd player. We both sat on the couch and skipped the credits. As the movie started, I got up and flipped off the lights then sat back down. I was only a few inches from him and I was hyperaware of that. I could just barely make out his face by the light of the tv. He looked just as uncomfortable as I felt.

Halfway through the movie, I felt his fingers lace with mine. So much for not acting on it...But it wasn't like I was gonna fight it. My eyes drifted towards him and I saw that he was already looking at me in the same fashion. The only difference was unlike the curiosity in my eyes, his was filled with unmistakable want. I've never really understood what people meant when they said desire can be seen through the eyes till now. The look he was giving me ignited an inferno in me and it took every ounce of willpower not to lean over and just kiss him. To kiss Kyoya Ootori. Has anyone ever been given that profound privlege?

I know that I've kissed someone before but it was a girl and it was completely accidental. His eyes dropped to my lips and he leaned closer to me, now looking directly at me. I inhaled sharply, wanting to breathe in his scent. I became light headed as he leaned closer towards me. Closing my eyes, I waited for the contact I craved. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes to see he had leaned away and was watching the tv. I glared at him pretty fiercely but I doubt he ever noticed it or could see it in this light.

"Jerk..." I mumbled.

"Your father is home." He told me. "I can hear him and his friends." I listened closely and sure enough, I heard the giggling nearing the apartment door.

The door was unlocked and thrown open by my father who was being carried by his friends. "Haruhi! How's my little girl!" Oh boy...He's drunk.

"You're drunk dad." I chidded while getting up to fetch the hangover preventer kit. I pulled out the poweraid drink and the little tablets and shook them up. My dad was put on the couch and his friends left a few minutes later. Kyoya was standing against the far wall, looking more like a statue than a person in this light. I turned on the light and handed my dad the drink.

"Oh! I just LOVE this movie Haruhi. And lookie here! Kyoya is here too! Why don't you sit with Ranka and enjoy the movie Kyoya dear." My father was a real flirt when he was intoxicated. Kyoya smiled his polite host smile.

"No, that's alright. I need to be getting home sir. Thank you though. See you at school tomorrow Haruhi." Kyoya said politely before making his leave.

I bit my lip as he left. I wanted to run after him but I fought myself on it until I was sure he was gone. Feeling exhausted, I went to my room and laid down. I took off the pearl necklace and sat it on the bedside table before drifting off to sleep, where I vividly dreamed of Kyoya Ootori.


	9. Believe Me I Know

**I HAD A DIFFICULT TIME WRITING THAT LAST CHAPTER. I HAD NO IDEA WHERE TO END IT OR WHERE TO PUT CERTAIN THINGS I WANTED TO INCLUDE. BUT I FINALLY FINISHED IT FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE. :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. ENJOY!**

**I BET YOU'RE ALL WONDERING WHEN KYOYA AND HARUHI WILL SHARE THEIR FIRST KISS. WELL, IT'S IN THIS CHAPTER! :D THAT'S RIGHT! THIS CHAPTER IS THEIR KISS.**

Haruhi's POV:

In my dream, I was walking down the path in the forest again. At the fork in the road, I noticed that the road Tamaki had once been on was gone and the arrow pointed only to the path Kyoya stood on. Arisu was sitting on the bench just like always with those deep hazel eyes and Kyoya was beckoning me to come to him.

"You've made a decision. Now follow through." Kyoya told me, holding out his hand for me.

"But you told me you would never act on your feelings." I said before taking a careful step onto the path that led to him. He didn't respond. He just stared at me with those dark eyes. "Are you going to say anything? Kyoya! What should I do?"

"Keep trying." He whispered before my alarm clock woke me up. I sighed but got out of bed willingly. Keep trying? I'm not even sure that's an option. Other than the almost kiss, Kyoya had made it perfectly clear he wouldn't act on his feelings. I checked my phone and for once, there wasn't a million text messages.

This time while getting ready, I put the pearl necklace on willingly instead of flipping a coin. Today was a mini theme club meeting. Every host would be dressing up from the regency time period. I still didn't know what my costume would look like so I'd just have to find out after school. When I got to class that morning, Hikaru and Kaoru looked unusually subdued.

"Hey guys. What's wrong?" I asked while taking my seat.

"The boss. We gave him a suprise visit last night and he was really depressed." Hikaru said with sad eyes.

"Did he say why?" I asked worriedly.

"Nope. He just asked us to go home after we had something to drink." Kaoru added.

Was me not showing interest in him really making him this depressed? I had made it clear from the start that I didn't see him that way. Had I ever done anything at all to make him think I did? Before I could focus too much on it, class started. At lunch, Tamaki was nowhere to be found. Kyoya explained that Tamaki went to see his father instead of going to lunch but that he wasn't aware of why. Now that I was paying closer attention, Kyoya was acting incredibly strange. He looked almost jumpy. He kept messing with his tie and adjusting his glasses every few seconds.

"You okay senpai?" I asked him and he looked at me in almost a startled manner.

"I'm fine Haruhi." He said monotonously. The stone look on his face told me not to question him further.

During my study period, I went to my locker to put up my bag before heading outside for a walk around campus. As I reached forward to open it, I noticed a little note shoved through one of the slits in the locker. Pulling it out, I opened it up.

**Music Room #3**

**2:25**

I raised an eyebrow. No signature, no further info. Just a time and a place. I looked at a clock in the hallway. The time on the paper is five minutes away. Just enough time to head for the club room. What confused me further was if it were a note from one of the hosts, they would refer to the room as the club room, not Music Room #3. So who was this thing from?

Shrugging, I put away my bookbag and started the walk towards the club room. When I arrived, the lights were off and the curtains were drawn. I could barely make out the form of someone tall standing in the middle of the room. I stepped in and closed the door.

"Hello? You wanted to see me? Kyoya senpai, is that you?" Suddenly, the form split in two and there were two tall people standing there. I sighed. "What do you want you two? And why did you write Music Room #3 instead of club room like you usually do when you pass notes?"

The lights flicked on and one twin stood with a remote in hand and the other with his arms crossed. Hikaru looked very determined and Kaoru looked frustrated. "We wanted you to be confused as to who left the note so you wouldn't try to back out. We want to know what your decision is so we know if we need to help Tamaki move on." Hikaru said firmly while tossing the remote aside.

Kaoru sighed. "Forgive this idiot Haruhi. He just wants to start more drama."

"I told you guys, I'm not playing this game." I sighed.

"No game Haruhi." Hikaru said in the most serious tone I've ever seen either twin use. "We don't want anyone getting hurt and you're giving us limited time to work with. If our suspicions are correct and you want to date Kyoya then we need to start helping Tamaki move on first."

"This is stupid you two."

"I know this is stupid! Talk to him!" Kaoru said dramatically, throwing his arms in the air before gesturing towards his brother.

"It's not Haruhi! Kaoru! Both of you don't get it! As soon as you make your decision, Kyoya and Tamaki's friendship will be ruined! The host club will be ruined. The only reason this thing has lasted this long is because Kyoya and Tamaki have built it together. If you date Tamaki, Kyoya will stop helping Tamaki keep the budget sound and if you date Kyoya, Tamaki will get depressed and shut down the host club..."

I was dumbfounded. "You don't know that..."

"Oh but I do...I know what type of people they are and I know how they would react to you dating one of them using common sense. I won't let you destroy the host club because you can't decide."

That did it. I was pissed now and darn it...I think I'm about to cry..."I'm not being indecisive you freaking rich bastard! I've made my decision and you know it! But Kyoya won't date me because of Tamaki so here's my freaking decision...I choose NO ONE! Go to hell!" And then I ran. Ran from the room, from the school and straight to the little garden in the back of the apartment complex where I cried under some tree.

It took me several minutes to realize it had started to rain. And not just any rain...Oh no...Thunder cracked loudly and a flash of lightning lit up the sky. I wimpered. I couldn't help it. I dropped to my knees and curled into a ball. Help me...somebody... "Help...Help! Daddy!" I cried out. I slammed my mouth shut. Did I just call for my dad like a child? Another loud clap of thunder made my mind go a thousand places at once. The rain poured on me, leaving me soaked.

"Haruhi!" I heard somebody call but I was too stunned to respond let alone try to find out who it was. I was locking up, frozen where I laid. "Haruhi where are you?" The voice was much closer now.

Oh no...not him...anyone but him...But where were my options? "Kyoya?" I called at a normal speaking voice, unable to speak any louder.

"Haruhi! I think I heard you! Talk again and I'll follow your voice!"

"Kyoya." I said again but got no response. "I'm here. Right here...Under the tree."

Kyoya stepped into view finally. He was facing away from me. "Speak again Haruhi!"

"Turn around!" I screamed as loud as I could.

He spun around and darted for me. "There you are. I saw you running from the school." He leaned down next to me and put a hand on my back. "I'll get you up to the apartment. Where's your key?"

"At school, in my bookbag." I whispered, still hunched over on my knees.

He stared at me with compassionate eyes and everything in me hated that he was looking at me that way. "I'll handle it."

"No. I don't need you to handle anything for me. I'm not a child." I snapped.

He pursed his lips and stood up quickly. "Fine. Then I'll leave you here." And he began to walk away.

"Wait...please wait..."

He turned around, a playful smile barely noticeable on his lips. "That's what I thought."

I scowled. "Jerk..."

He smiled ruefully and walked back over to me. Before I could stop him, he put his hands on my shoulders and swung me back, catching me. He put a hand under my knees and the one on my back around my shoulders before lifting me into his arms. "We can go back to the school and go get your key." He said before walking towards the gate of the complex.

"You don't have to carry me." But regardless of what I said, I latched onto him when another clap of thunder sounded.

"I want to." He told me. I looked up at him. The rain had plastered his bangs to his forehead and flushed his face. He had his lips parted as he walked. He was breathing deeply. The way his eyebrows were set over his serious eyes told me he was deep in thought.

"Seriously Kyoya, just put me down. I can walk."

His jaw clenched and he stared down at me with one of the most confusing expressions I've ever seen Kyoya wear. He looked so fierce. "Will you just shut up and let me hold you you foolish girl?"

"Excuse me?" I yelled and Kyoya did the number one most shocking thing he could have possibly done at this point. He lifted his arms until I was at eye level and he crashed his lips against mine. My eyes shot wide open but fluttered closed almost imediately. His lips moulded against mine, sending chills up and down my spine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, knotting my fingers into his hair, trying to prolong the kiss.

After several minutes of us being at a perfect standstill in this confusing and mind numbing kiss, we pulled back for air. Both breathing heavily, we stared at eachother while we both calmed down. When I was no longer flushed and trying to catch my breath, Kyoya started walking again. When we got onto the main road, I saw no means of transportation.

"Your limo?" I asked and he didn't respond. He just kept walking with a triumphant look on his face. It dawned on me then. "You ran here? Were you really that worried?" Still no response.

When we got onto the school grounds, there were several students staring. From anyone not in the host club, it would look like a guy was carrying another guy through the rain. It was almost comical. I might've laughed if a flash of lightening didn't make me hide my eyes against Kyoya's chest. "We're almost there." He told me in what sounded like Kyoya's attempt at a soothing voice.

I looked towards where Kyoya was heading, anxious to get out of the rain but not wanting Kyoya to put me down. When we got near the front doors, I first noticed Hikaru, Kaoru, Honey and Mori standing there under the protection of the high school building's stone awning. On closer inspection, I saw Tamaki in the shadows.

They all had a colorful aray of different emotions playing on their faces. "The twins looked like they expected this, Honey looked totally confused, Mori looked emotionless and Tamaki looked subdued. It almost looked like a small smile was on Tamaki's face. When we got to the steps, Kyoya quickly rushed up them before setting me on my feet. "We need to get her inside. She's soaked to the bone." Kyoya said before we all ran inside.

I shivered uncontrollably now that I was away from Kyoya's warmth. The twins ran off and came back a few minutes later with several towels. They handed a couple to Kyoya before helping me out of my blazer and wrapping me up like I was a buritto. "Come on to the club room. We'll get you guys into some dry clothes." Tamaki said softly, eyes dim.

I frowned, wishing I weren't the cause for that sad look. They've all already guessed that something is going on between Kyoya and I. The twins picked me up and started to walk me towards the stairs that led to the music room when Kyoya stood in front of them. "I've got her." He stated firmly before taking me from them and carrying himself.

"Nobody needs to carry me. Put me down. And will somebody free my arms?" I complained, trying to get free of the towels. The twins leaned over Kyoya as we all walked together and untangled my arms. "Thanks." I mumbled.

"It's the least we could do." Kaoru mumbled.

"I'm really sorry for how I acted earlier Haruhi." Hikaru whispered, his eyes downcast. He looked up quickly all of a sudden. "But for the record, I have NEVER heard you so pissed off. Is was impressively frightening."

I blushed in semi pride. "Really?" 

"Very." They both smiled with those mischievous grins.

"Am I forgiven?" Hikaru asked me with a pout.

"Yes you're forgiven. But I care about the club too so don't you ever say anything like that again."

"What did he say to you exactly?" Kyoya asked me.

I blushed as I remembered the conversation involving Kyoya. "Um, nothing that would concern you."

We arrived at the club room and I was unwrapped from my towel inprisonment. The twins handed me a bag and led me to a curtained area to change. I rushed off to get out of my soaking wet uniform. I looked in the bag and frowned. It was a REALLY old fashioned looking dress. This must be my costume for the Regency theme club meeting. There was a pair of bloomers, an under corset and a pair of satin shoes. Sighing, I put it all on and went out to find everyone else changed as well.

**(A/N: To see Haruhi's costume and the host's costumes go to my profile and click the links)**

"Nonono Haruhi! You've put the corset on all wrong! It's poking out of your dress and everything!" The twins yelled before diving in my direction. After several minutes of fighting them, I allowed them to tighten and adjust the corset on the condition they keep their eyes shut. They then rushed me over to have my hair and makeup done. I looked at Kyoya the entire time the twins worked on me. He was dressed in a Regency era gentleman's outfit just like Mori senpai. Honey and the twins were dressed in Regency era military costumes and Tamaki was set out from the rest wearing a military costume with a captain's hat and a sword at his use.

The twins put a wig on me and fixed it back into an old fashioned bun with pieces braided over like a headband. Little ringlet curls were left down near the front and little white flowers were placed at random places in the wig. A pair of to the wrist, lace gloves were put on me and I was sat at my table to await the guests. I felt so stupid...I look like Elisabeth Bennet. (Pride and prejudice reference XD) But the funny part was Kyoya looked like Mr. Darcy.

When the guests arrived, all the girls were thrilled to see our costumes. After we went through all of our customer conversations, we all got up to eat from the lavish buffet that I didn't seem to notice till now. As I munched on a plate of fancy tuna, I watched Tamaki go to the center of the room and clap his hands. "Attention all! We will be doing a Regency style dance in just a few minutes. All willing participants go to the center of the room."

I sighed. I guess I won't have to participate since I'm dressed as a woman today. Which had got a suprisingly good feedback from the customers. They thought it was 'adorable'. I was about to go sit back down when Kyoya stepped in front of me and held out his hand. "May I have this dance?" He asked with a very old fashioned bow.

I blushed and took his hand before I could even think. He led me to the center of the room. Tamaki was having fun teaching everyone how the dance would go. He had obviously been watching Pride and Prejudice reciently. Or knowing his luck, he rented out a dance instructor to teach him the Regency era dances. When everyone had the basics of the dance learned, the music started and we began. The girls stood in a line across from the boys and we stepped forward to circle around eachother and then take eachother's hands as we stepped foward again side by side.

The dance went on but I had no idea for how long since all my attention was on my dance partner. He was wearing a little smile but made me want to smile. I barely even noticed all the squeals and giggles from the guests watching us dance. After we practiced the basics, Tamaki taught us all the dance in a little more detail. After an hour, we were all dancing and interchanging partners like we were at a real Regency ball.

By the time I was permitted to sit, I was roasting. How did women back then wear these stupid clothes. I could barely breathe with the corset so I chose to sit on a window seat and crack open the window. It had finally stopped raining and the sun was shining through.

Kyoya came by a few minutes later with a ladies fan in hand. He handed it to me and I waved air into my face greatfully. "Did you have fun Haruhi?"

"Yes I guess. But I can hardly breathe." I complained, trying to get as much air as possible in my lungs.

"This club strives itself on authenticity so the corset wasn't optional. I'll help." He said and pushed my legs to the side until my back was facing the window instead of the side of the window seat. He reached behind me and unsnapped the buttons on the back of my dress. My eyes snapped open. "Relax. I'm helping." He told me and I felt him loosen the corset strings. He fixed the buttons back for me afterward. "Better?"

I took a deep, much needed breath. "Very. Thank you."

"No problem. I'll get you something to drink." He said with a smirk in my direction before leaving me to my thoughts. No one in the room was staring at me with big eyes so I'm guessing nobody noticed that. Tamaki was having a blast dancing with all the girls and the twins were trying to dance with the same girl at the same time. Honey and Mori were by the sweets table of course. Kyoya came back a minute later and handed me a champayne glass full of something red and bubbly.

I took a sip. "This is good. What is it?"

"Black cherry flavered sparkling soda. Tamaki insisted on going to the 'commoner's' store a couple days ago and he bought some after he was given a sample from some woman's booth."

"I can pretty much guarantee that this wasn't around during the Regency era. I thought this club strived itself on authenticity." I joked.

"Well, authenticity and whatever Tamaki decides on." He said with a smirk.

Thirty minutes had passed and the guests were winding down till only a dozen remained, I looked over at Kyoya who was still sitting beside me but was now typing at his laptop. Maybe it's time I ask him what that kiss today meant. "Kyoya?" I whispered.

"Yes Haruhi?" He said, not looking away from his laptop once. I frowned.

I reached over and shut his laptop. "This is important. Look at me."

He stared at me disbelievingly but then a look of realization came over him. He nodded. "Wait until the guests leave. We'll take a walk in the garden."

I nodded. "Haruhi! Come over here and see this!" One of the guests called to me and I smiled apologetically to Kyoya before leaving him to see the twins do some weird looking jester dance for the ladies in perfect unison.

When the final guest had gone, the twins had to rush out to attend a fashion show with their mother. A few minutes later, Honey and Mori went on their way, leaving Kyoya, Tamaki and myself in the room. Tamaki smiled in my direction. "Haruhi. How did you like the theme?"

"It was great senpai. I had a lot of fun." I said with earnest. I really hope Tamaki would be alright with the possibility of Kyoya and I dating.

"Good." He smiled warmly. "I need to be getting home now. My grandmother says she wants me to play the piano for some guests she's inviting over."

"See ya senpai." I said, waving. He gave me one last funny look before rushing from the room, still in his Regency attire. At least all the other hosts who had left bothered to change. That left Kyoya and I here still dressed in our costumes.

Kyoya stood and shut his laptop. "Now we can take a walk." He walked over to me and held out his hand, still playing the gentleman roll like I was one of the guests. I took his hand and he led me out of the room and down the hallway. There were a few teachers congregating near a classroom that gave us funny looks when we passed by in our costumes.

"Wait you two!" One of them called and rushed forward with a camera. "This is just precious. A picture for the yearbook?"

"Certainly." Kyoya gave her his host smile and wrapped an arm around me for the photo. I smiled as best I could but I just knew the picture would show my blush. After a couple pictures were taken, we were allowed to make our way towards the garden. Once outback, Kyoya gave me a genuine smile. "Well that's certainly embarassing. I don't recall the yearbook including any unplanned pictures of the host club since it was created."

"You guys plan your pictures?"

"Of course. All those times the yearbook club made 'suprise' visits to the host club to take our picture were planned. We were given helpful hints so we'd never be taken off guard. This will be the first year a host dressed in female clothes is included in the yearbook as well."

"Well I am a female after all." I said dryly as we continued to walk on the still damp grass.

"You're wearing the necklace." He commented, pointing to the pearl necklace.

I nodded. "I wear it everyday. But that's not why I've brought you out here. Not for small talk."

"In all technicality, I brought you out here. It was my idea to take a walk." He said, smirking.

"Regardless...I really..." I bit my lip and pulled all my courage out. "...I really want to know what that kiss meant." I mumbled, my eyes locked on the ground.

Kyoya stopped walking and I followed suit. "I kissed you because I like you silly." He said but I couldn't be sure what his exact emotions were since I was too embarassed to look at him.

"I know that. I mean, did you kiss me because you're telling me you want to date me?" I finally looked at him and his eyes were serious.

"Would you want that?" He asked me, still playing the gentleman's role.

I sighed and nodded, which felt awkward with the weight of the wig. I reached back and undid the bun, letting the dark brown hair fall on my shoulders except for the hair that was still up and braided. "I really do. I've made my choice and now I'm going to follow through with it."

He laughed. "That's a funny way of saying it."

I frowned. That's what Kyoya had told me to do in my dream. "Well I am." I said, not trying to sound obstinant but I felt like I did. I looked at the ground then, not wanting to have to look at him if he rejected me again.

"Haruhi, look at me." He said softly and I reluctantly looked up. He was now standing an inch from me. He wrapped his arms around me and leaned his forehead against mine. "Then we will."

I blushed. If my calculations were correct, I just got my first boyfriend. Calculations? Wow. I'm sounding more and more like Kyoya. "Okay." I whispered, knowing my voice would squeak if I spoke at normal volume.

He laughed that soft laugh I was beginning to enjoy hearing. He took an arm from around my waist and cupped my face before kissing me softly. My eyes instinctively shut. When he pulled away, he began to laugh again.

"What?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"That blush of yours is very feminine." I said jokingly and I swatted his arm.

"I AM female you jerk." I pouted.

"I know." He smirked. "Believe me Haruhi. I know." And then he kissed me again.


	10. The Ceremony

**THANK YOU ALL FOR THE GREAT POSITIVE FEEDBACK FOR THE LAST CHAPTER! AND THANK YOU ALL FOR READING! :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.**

**THIS WILL BE THE BIG CHERRY BLOSSOM VIEWING CEREMONY EVENT THING. THIS CHAPTER WILL ALSO TIE UP SOME LOOSE ENDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSING YOU.**

**AND I AM SOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG TO UPDATE. FAMILY PROBLEMS AND BOY PROBLEMS WHICH LED TO STRESS AND EMOTIONAL CRAP. I PROMISE TO UPDATE MORE QUICKLY. I APOLOGIZE ONCE AGAIN. ENJOY!**

Haruhi's POV:

"Welcome to the Host Club's Viewing of the Blossoms!" Tamaki proclaimed loudly before rushing for one of his regular guests that was admiring the largest tree in the garden. I sat at a table on the patio feeling rediculous in my kimono. It was one of those real ones that had several layers and stuff. I was even wearing a wig done up elaborately with hair combs and flowers. I took a sip of my drink and watched the other hosts entertain the ladies while I waited for one of my regulars to come up and talk to me.

**(A/N: To see Haruhi's kimono and the other Hosts' kimonos, go to my profile and find the link.)**

These past few days have been great but still really frustrating. After I had gotten out of my Regency costume a few days ago, Kyoya and I went to my locker to get my house key then he walked me home where we had tea together and talked about how Tamaki handled the news.

_FLASHBACK_

_"He took it suprisingly well." I commented while cleaning up the teapot in the sink._

_Kyoya stood in the middle of my kitchen, looking at various things that were tacked to the fridge. "I had spoken to him again today. I had been standing under an awning with Tamaki when you ran outside in the rain. That's how I saw you."_

_"You ran after me." I said, trying to imagine the look on Tamaki's face as Kyoya ran off._

_He nodded. "Tamaki said he knew how we both felt and that he wasn't going to try to stop it anymore."_

_"Wow..." I turned around from the sink and dried my hands on a towel sitting on the counter. "Will everything be alright between you two?"_

_Kyoya looked thoughtful. "It should be. He's been very accepting of it. Mostly for your sake, I believe. He knows how upset you get when people force their affections on you."_

_I frowned. I really hope Kyoya's right and he will be alright. Kyoya eyed me carefully, his eyes curious. "What?" I asked._

_He took several steps forward until we were standing just a few inches from one another. "Nothing." He smiled warmly before kissing my forehead._

_END FLASHBACK_

The day after that, Kyoya and I acted as if we weren't even dating. Other than the occational heated glance in host club, we were very casual about the whole thing. The day after that, Kyoya had asked me if I'd visit his house the morning after the blossom viewing ceremony. Curious to see his house for the first time, I agreed. I don't have any dating history to base it on but to me, going to your boyfriend's house is a big step. Usually they invite you over because they want you to meet their parents.

The reason it's been frustrating is because Kyoya seems like he's hiding something. I can't really explain it properly. He'll give me weird stares all the time and he hasn't kissed me on the lips once in three days. It's always the cheek or the forehead or once on the hand.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by my most regular guest, Maya Nojia. "Haruhi. You look so great in your kimono! But I'm curious. Why is it the hosts always have you dress up as a girl lately?"

I smiled as best I could, trying not to look nervous. "They just like making me the butt of the jokes."

She smiled an akward smile before sitting at the table with me. "That's not very nice of them."

"Don't worry. I don't mind really."

She was silent for a long time, looking at the other guests and at the cherry blossom trees. She finally looked back at me with a very careful expression. "Haruhi. I have a question. A lot of people in the host club think you and Kyoya are dating because we see you go off alone together so much. Which if you were, it would be totally fine. I don't mind if you're gay. I'll still talk to you during club meetings."

I had to resist the urge to drop my jaw. "Um..."

She laughed an awkward laugh. "I'm so sorry for making you feel uncomfortable. Please forgive my rudeness."

"Nono. You weren't being rude at all Miss. Nojia. If you promise to keep it a secret..." I motioned for her to come forward. "Yes, Kyoya and I are dating."

She leaned back, her hands covering her mouth. "That is just so cute Haruhi! I promise not to tell anyone!"

That certainly made her day. Maybe someday, when the school finds out I'm really a girl, we can tell everyone that we're dating. Until then, I'll have to keep myself content with the fact I'm with Kyoya at all. "Kyaa!" I yelled as someone swooped me up and began carrying me towards a large group of people. I looked up to see it was Mori senpai. He sat me on my feet and told me to sit in the little wooden chair. "Why?"

"We're having some pictures taken Haruhi." Kyoya stated while inconspicuously sliding in beside me. "We called in a professional photographer to handle the photos."

Said photographer was putting his camera on a stand and telling people where to stand. "Alright! First few photos will include everyone together then we'll do a few with only the hosts. Will all the hosts stand behind the young lady in the chair and all the guests sit on the ground around the hosts?" I blushed. Even the photographer said I was a girl. Maybe my secret will get out sooner than expected if people keep putting two and two together.

Everyone moved in and posed for the pictures. After a few flashes, the guests were shooed away and the photographer began situating us. "Alright! I've been informed that Mr. Suoh will be the main part of the picture so will the young lady please stand and allow Mr. Suoh to sit in the chair?" I stood up but before Tamaki could sit, the photographer had his assitant bring over a more regal looking armchair for him to sit in. "Alright. Will the young lady and the little boy stand on opposite sides of the chair. The twins stand behind the chair and the two dark headed boys stand behind the two on the sides of the chair."

Kyoya stood behind me and placed his hands on my waist. I blushed but no one seemed to notice what he was doing. Mori senpai had one hand resting on Honey senpai's head and the other on his hip as Honey senpai hugged his stuffed rabbit. The twins were doing their signature twincest pose and Tamaki was posing with one hand to rest his chin on and the other uplifted.

"Alright! Just like that! Hold it..." The camera flashed twice. "Now will each host come over to the large cherry blossom tree? We'll going to do a few more. Mr. Suoh first."

Tamaki bounded over and posed dramatically for the photos while Kyoya dropped his hands. He reached into his kimono and pulled out his notepad and began to write something down. "Is this going like you planned?" I asked him.

"It's going fine. The turn out is a little over a thousand. About three hundred female guests, around four hundred girls from other schools in the area and with all the parents and family members of the guests, it makes over a thousand. A very good turn out. And we'll be making extra money by charging money for each guest who wants a copy of the big group picture. And come next week, a photo book will be put together for the girls to buy of photos of the hosts."

I frowned. "It's always about profit with you. Pretty much the only thing you've ever done that didn't give you any merit was agree to date me."

He stopped writing and looked at me with dead serious eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but was intercepted by one of the assitants asking him to go have his picture taken. He eyed me one last time but allowed himself to be pulled away. I sighed. Great. He looked almost angry. I'm not even sure what I said to tick him off. I jumped when I felt two sets of arms wrap around me.

"So Haruhi. What's it like dating the shadow king?" Hikaru asked with a smirk that matched the one on Kaoru's face.

"Ssh! Guys, not so loud. People will hear." I said sternly.

"Oh. So it's a secret. We thought so so we've kept quiet about it." Kaoru added. "But really, what's it like?" Kaoru lowered his voice.

"It's...I don't know. Good?" I shrugged. "I've never had a boyfriend before so I don't really know what to base our relationship off of."

"Does he take you on dates?" Hikaru asked.

"Um, no." I admitted, feeling a little down all of a sudden.

"Does he tell you how pretty you are?" Kaoru asked.

"Um, no..." I pouted.

"Does he even walk you to class?" They both asked at the same time, dropping their arms and staring at me in disbelief.

"No...He doesn't." I was officially depressed. Maybe our relationship wasn't as good as I thought it was.

They shook their heads. "We'll stay out of it Haruhi but if he doesn't start being a better boyfriend. We'll be forced to take matters into our own hands." Hikaru stated before walking off to have their pictures taken.

Kyoya was being surounded by a few girls from another school. Their uniform was the traditional sailor uniform so I'm guessing their from Ouran Public High School. One of them, a tall girl with bright red hair, was whispering something in his ear that made him smile. Then the three girls and even Kyoya looked over at me. I blushed. Were they talking about me? Trying not to be too rude, I walked over to them.

"Good day ladies. Are you enjoying the ceremony?"

All three girls took a couple steps closer to me. "We are. We were just telling Mr. Ootori how adorable your kimono is. You really look like a girl in it."

"Thank you. We aim to please our guests." I said with the fakest smile I've ever felt myself wear. I couldn't explain why but I felt some foreign emotion bubbling in me at the sight of these girls crowding Kyoya. I might even dare say it's jealousy. Which is stupid because Kyoya is the type of person to never date anyone let alone leave one girl for another or cheat. It's just not his character to do such things. And he's invited me to his house tomorrow. That's got to be a good sign.

The redhead that I had first assumed was flirting with him came to my side and put her hand on my shoulder. "Will you take me on walk Mr. Fugioka?"

I almost blushed from my stupidity. She had her eyes set on me! I linked arms with her. "Of course. Shall we take a tour of the rose garden?"

I spent a good half hour walking and talking with the infatuated redhead. When I got back from my walk, it looked like even more people had arrived. Each host was so busy entertaining that the stress was beginning to show in their eyes. I ended up taking five more walks in the rose garden with various guests. The group sizes with me ranging from a few to ten. By four in the afternoon, I finally got around to having lunch. I feasted on all the fancy tuna my heart desired before downing several cups of tea.

By five, the crowd had died down and only our guests and a couple hundred other people remained. I took a few more group walks and sat with a small group for tea. By eight, the sun was beginning to set and all I wanted to do was get away. There were only a little under a hundred people remaining and nobody had come up to me for ten minutes so I took it as my chance to run off for a while. I stood up and walked towards the rose garden again, looking for it's little gazebo I could sit at and think.

As I went deeper into the rose garden, the sky grew darker until my only light was the twinkling lights wrapped around trees and bushes. I stopped suddenly when I saw a few people up ahead crowding around a tree. I could see little lights near their mouths and a small cloud of smoke. Great. Smokers. The three teenage boys were of the average build size and each were wearing regular street clothes.

"Excuse me!" I called. "Smoking is prohibited on Ouran grounds. Do you have your passes with you? If not, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." By the time I was done speaking, I had walked till I was ten feet away from them.

They all looked at me in silence for a few seconds before bursting out into tear bringing laughter. "Look! It's the dude wearing the dress!" One of them yelled before flicking the cigarette in my direction. I dodged it and took a step back. I was about to get really angry.

"Why are you wearing a dress little boy? Are you a fag?" One of them asked and I glared. **(A/N: I apologize for my word choice. It seemed like a good word insert for a few stereotypical smoker punks to use.)**

"I told you to exit the garden and leave the school grounds." I said firmly and one of them started walking slowly towards me.

"Or what?" He flicked his arm out and knocked my wig off, my regular hair moving with the slight breeze in the air.

"Or..." I was at a loss. What could I do? I was suddenly brought back to the beach where I was thrown off a cliff by a couple local punks.

"He can't do nothing. Except stand there looking like a fag!" One of them yelled before running over and pushing me on the ground. "See! He's a wimp!"

"He looks like such a girl! Why don't you take that rediculous thing off! I know! We should take it and make him run back to his little buddies in his boxers!"

I froze up. Oh no...I'm going to be found out. I got up as quickly as this stupid kimono would allow and tried to run but one of them grabbed on to the obi of the kimono and pulled at it. It unraveled and fell, opening the first couple layers of the kimono. Another one grabbed my arm. "Where ya going? Gonna run back to your little friends and cry about how the mean boys stole your pretty little dress? Huh?"

"Let me go or I'll scream!" I yelled, trying to break free. They ripped at the expensive kimono until I was left in the white under kimono that acted as a slip of some sort. But they just kept laughing and pushing me back and forth around the circle.

"Oh shut up!" One of them yelled. We havn't even hurt you!"

I was pushed back into the tallest one and he untied the string on the last piece. Under it, I had a tank top and a little pair of shorts. I wouldn't be naked but as soon as they saw the little pink shirt, they'd know my true gender. Suddenly, a real fear gripped me. What would they do to me if they knew I was a girl? Unable to control the terror, I let out the loudest, most ear splitting scream I can ever remember using.

"Wow! Listen to that set of lungs!" One said with a whistle. "He sounds just like a girl!"

"Dude..." One whispered, ripping the kimono slip off. "...this is a girl."

The three stopped and I stood in the middle of their circle with my arms crossed over my camise. Of all the days not to wear a bra..."Please just let me go back to everyone..." I whispered, feeling the tears coming on. I looked down, closing my eyes, preparing to scream again if necessary.

"Haruhi!" Is all I heard before a giant commotion was heard. By the time I had the courage to open my eyes, one of the punks was lying unconcious on the ground while the other two ran off for the exit in obvious panic. And standing right before me was Kyoya, hunched over and breathing heavily.

"Kyoya..."

"Never!" He yelled before stopping and trying to catch his breath again. "Never will you go off alone... Ever!"

He looked down at the ripped remains of my kimono and at my obvious need for clothes. He undid the tie on his kimono and took off the first layer. Under it, he had another lighter blue kimono layer. He walked up to me and wrapped the kimono around me before lifting me up and starting his walk towards the exit. I would have told him to put me down but it was then that I noticed I was shaking uncontrollably.

"They..." I tried to talk but my voice cracked.

"Ssh. You're safe." He whispered, not taking his eyes off the exit of the garden.

"They know my secret..."

"I have ways of silencing people who know too much. They're lucky I let them live." He muttered, his teeth clenched.

"They weren't going to seriously hurt me me..They were just being idiots. They thought I was a boy until the last second..."

"I don't care." He nearly yelled, his eyes dark. "If they ever come in one hundred feet of you or Ouran ever again, I'll kill them myself."

A guard that was sitting at the entrance of the garden was sleeping soundly in his chair. Kyoya walked up to him and kicked him in the shin. The guard let out of a shout and shot up from his chair. "What was that for?" The guard yelled.

"Maybe if you had been doing your job instead of sleeping, young girls wouldn't be put in dangerous situations. I'll be filing a report on you and turning it into the chairman myself."

The guard's eyes got wide. "Wait! I didn't mean any harm! I had a full lunch and needed to sleep it off!"

Kyoya didn't respond. He just walked off, leaving the very upset looking guard in the dust. "You didn't have to be so mean to him."

"What if those men had the mind to harm you once their shock of your true gender wore off? What if I hadn't been looking for you? The guard that should have been awake to hear your screaming would have slept through it all."

I didn't respond. Personally, I was suprised the guard hadn't woken up when I screamed the first time. I tensed up. I was worried about what the other people in the main blossom viewing area would say when they saw me in this situation. Instead of walking into the open, Kyoya took the long way around to a back entrance of the school. The door was propped open for people to go in to use the bathrooms but no guard was stationed at the door. Kyoya walked into the building and down the dimly lit hallway that would lead to the main stairs. Nobody was in here. The only noise came from all the talking going on outside.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"The club room. We'll search for some clothes for you, then I'll take you home."

He looked like he calmed down considerably but the anger was still in his eyes. "Are you mad at me?"

He stopped walking and looked down at me. "Yes. You put yourself into a dangerous situation. It's that day at the beach all over again. Do you realize that?"

I nodded before looking away from his disapointed expression. "I'm sorry."

He started walking again. "I'm guessing you realize the seriousness of the situation this time."

I nodded, not wanting to talk anymore. When we reached the club room, Kyoya shifted my weight to one arm and had me wrap my legs around his waist so he could open the door with the key in his pocket. I felt embarassed. He was holding me the way one would hold a toddler. Once in the room, he pulled me to face him, my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. He stared at me for a moment before setting me on my feet.

He walked over to a storage closet and starting sorting through it. While he looked around, I held on to the pearl necklace around my neck. "Kyoya?" I called and he turned around to look at me.

"Yes?"

"Thank you...for saving me." I said, looking down.

"It's no trouble at all. Let's just not make a habbit out of it. Homicide is something I'd rather not be known for." He said with a smirk. He turned back around and started looking through the closet. "Would you prefer to wear girl or boy clothes?"

"Doesn't matter." I shrugged.

"Of course it doesn't." He said with obvious humor in his voice. "Here." He threw something black at me. I unfolded it to see a black corset backed dress. It was strapless and it looked like the skirt of it would go a bit past my knees. He also handed me some black flats.

"Why this?" I asked.

"The twins keep some female clothing here for your sake. Most of it is much skimpier than that. I thought you'd prefer something longer. All the men's clothing we have here is too big for you."

I shrugged and went to one of the changing curtains to put it on. I slipped on the shoes and reached behind me to do up the dress. I tried my best to lace the back on my own but it was really difficult. "Uh..."

"Having trouble?" He asked and opened the curtain before I gave permission to come in. He blushed and I wasn't sure why. I was covered up. He looked away and reached forward, zipping something very close to my underwear up. Oh no..."You looked at my underwear." I nearly yelled, blushing like mad.

"I apologize. It was unintentional." He said softly and I almost felt like laughing. I think he's even more embarassed than me. He laced up the corset for me without going overboard the way the twins did. While he laced it, I stared in the mirror at Kyoya. He was still blushing and his eyes were locked on the back of the dress.

An overpowering desire to be kissed took over me. There was something undeniably sensual about the way Kyoya kissed me. The way his lips moved against mine and how we molded our bodies together for that brief moment. I blushed at my wanton thoughts and had to look away from the mirror.

"Why are you blushing?" He asked me, trying to supress a smirk. "Still embarassed about what I saw?"

"N-no..."

"Look at me Haruhi." He whispered after a moment, spinning me around to face him. I looked at him for a few seconds before dropping my eyes. His gaze was too intense. It was the look he usually had right before he kissed me for real. I took a deep breath and looked back up at him. His eyes dropped a few inches to my lips. I let my tongue slip out to wet them and that's when Kyoya snapped. Walking me back quickly into the full length wall mirror with his hands on my hips, he pressed me against it and crashed his lips against mine.

At least I knew how to get him to kiss me now. I wrapped my arms around his neck as our lips molded and moved together. One arm made a steel grip around my waist while the other slid up my back until his hand was on the back of my head, pressing our faces together. We broke apart after a few minutes, gasping for air. We stood there with our arms around eachother, breathing heavily. The look in his eyes was firey and it suprised me how much I liked it. The cold shadow king had a fire filled, passionate side.

"Yūwaku no megami! Woman, you'll be the death of me." He said breathlessly and I burst out laughing. **(A/N: 'Yūwaku no megami' means 'goddess of seduction'. In other words, he was telling her she seduced him into that little makeout session. This nickname will be used again a few times so remember what it means.)**

I couldn't help it. I just kept laughing like an idiot. "Really? Will I know?" I said after I calmed down.

The hand on the back of my head dropped to meet the other one around my waist. He nodded. "Most definately."

I smiled widely. I placed my hands on his shoulders before standing on my toes with the intent of kissing him again. He leaned back and shook his head. I pouted. "Why not?"

"Because I need to get you home and I have only so much control." He said seriously. His right hand traced the curve of my waist while the other slid up to my face. He pressed his forehead against mine. "Do me a favor alright?"

I nodded. "Sure."

"Tomorrow, when I come to pick you up to take you to my house..."

"Yes?" I urged him on.

"Wear that dress."

I blinked. "Why?"

"Because you look beautiful in it." He said before leaning away. He took my hand and led me from the room. By the time we got outside, the guests were gone and the hosts were talking casually amongst themselves.

"Where did you guys run off to?" Tamaki asked, looking at us sadly. Kyoya squeezed my hand and I resisted the urge to look at him.

"Hey, that's one of the dresses our mom designed for you." Hikaru commented while Kaoru gave the thumbs up.

"I spilt something on my kimono and I had to go change." I lied. I really didn't want to get into detail on what actually happened. "I need to get home before my dad starts to worry."

I said my goodbyes to each of the hosts before heading towards the gate. Kyoya caught up with me. "I'll walk you home."

"You don't have to Kyoya."

"After what happened today, you will never be allowed to go anywhere without someone or something to protect you."

"What are you going to do? Follow me everywhere?" I asked incredulously.

"No. But I will require you to carry a can of mace."

I frowned. "Fine." I pouted. "I don't think I really need it though."

"Trust me, you do." He stated. I wanted to, but I didn't question him about it.

At this point, we were already walking into the complex. When we got to my apartment door, I unlocked it with the key I started keeping hidden in the bowl of the porch light mounted on the wall. The light wasn't on, which told my my dad was out again. "Do you want to come inside?"

He looked passed me into the dark apartment. After a moment, he nodded. "Yes."

We both walked inside and I turned on a few lights. "I can make some tea if you're thirsty."

"No thank you."

"Are you hungry? I can make something for us to eat."

"I'm fine." He smiled politely.

"Alright. I need to go start a load of laundry. You're welcome to sit at the table or the couch while you wait." I said and he nodded. I went into the laundry room and loaded the washer before going back into the living room. "Kyoya?" I called. He wasn't there anymore. "Hello? Are you still here?"

"Back here." I heard from the direction of the bedrooms. I walked back there and Kyoya was standing in the middle of my bedroom. "Your room is more feminine than I expected."

I blushed. "What are you doing in my room?"

He shrugged and went to look at the little things I had on the top of my dresser. That consisted of a 500 yen coin, some papers, a few hair clips and a music jewelry box my mother owned that had been left to me after she passed away. He opened the jewelry box and the familiar tune of fur elise filled the room. The jewelry box was empty so he shut it, cutting off the music. I watched his eyes go to the bed briefly but he quickly looked away from there.

"Not very personalized." He commented.

"Well I just moved in here. Of course it's not personalized yet." I pouted before falling back onto my bed. I stared up at Kyoya who was now opening my closet. "What's with your fascination in my room?"

Kyoya shut the closet. "No reason." He looked over at me, that same dark emotion in his eyes. He took a few steps forward but immediately stepped back.

"You alright?" I asked, sitting up.

"I should be going. Your father will be home soon and I'm sure he won't take too kindly to a male being in your room."

I rolled my eyes. "My father adores you and you know it."

He laughed a short laugh. "Yes but he might not if he thinks I did something improper to his daughter."

I blushed. "Kiss me before you leave." I ordered.

He raised an eyebrow and walked over towards the bed. Leaning down until he was at eye level with me, he leaned to the side as if to kiss me on the cheek. Moving my head just in time, I kissed him on the lips. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I deepened the kiss. He seemed to freeze in suprise at first but then gladly returned the kiss a few moments later. Before I could get too carried away, he pulled away and untangled my arms from around his neck.

"I'll see you in the morning yūwaku no megami." He said softly before standing to his full height. I walked him to the door and watched as he walked away into the night. I could see a limo pulling up at the gate for him. As soon as I was sure he was gone, I shut and locked the door, careful to leave the porch light on for my dad.

I went back to the bedroom and hung up the black dress on a hanger before putting on some pajamas. After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I went into the kitchen to raid the fridge. I was just heating up some leftovers when my dad came in. He looked sober this time. "Want me to make you something to eat dad?" I asked.

"No. I'm going to go to bed." He said in an almost depressed sounding tone.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, rushing to help him limp to the room after he sat aside his crutches.

"It's just been a long day. Got into an arguement with one of my customers."

"I thought you were waiting to go back to work until after your leg was healed. You told me you were spending the day with the girls." I frowned.

"I know...You worry too much. I did just fine today. And according to the doctor I called today, it's alright for me to work again." He told me, sitting himself on the bed with my assistance. He reached over and pulled a baby wipe from a package and began wiping off his makeup. "How was the ceremony?"

"It was fine. Over a thousand people came."

His eyes widened in suprise. "Sounds like you had your hands full today."

"Yeah. Um, dad? I know you told me that if I wanted to ever go out with a boy, I should ask so..." I had no idea why I was asking his permission to visit Kyoya's house. I normally didn't ask to go hang out with any of the hosts but this was different.

"Oh! Does your little friend Kyoya want to take you on a date? I've noticed you two spending a lot of time together lately." My dad gushed, using his almost funny sounding feminine laugh.

"Uh yeah. Kinda...I think that it's time I told you that...I have a boyfriend dad. Kyoya is my boyfriend." I muttered out the last part quickly.

My dad raised his eyebrows but he didn't look suprised. "I figured as much." He said in his normal voice.

I blinked. "You knew?"

"No. But I did have an inkling. So where is he taking you tomorrow?"

"He's taking me to his house to meet his family. Is that okay?"

He was silent for a long time, a thoughtful expression on his face. Finally he said, "Alright. I'll agree to it. But he has to bring you home by nine."

I nodded. "Alright. Deal."

"And if he brings you home with an hickeys on any part of your body, I'll ring his neck." My dad warned with one of the freakiest looking smiles on his face.

I frowned. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."

"Alright. Go to bed. And when you get home tomorrow, go right to bed. I don't want you being tired for school."

"Ok. Goodnight dad, I love you." I gave him a hug and went to my room.

After taking off my necklace, I put it on my bedside table so I'd remember to wear it tomorrow. I checked my messages then went right to sleep.


	11. A Day With Kyoya PART 1

**THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR STICKING WITH MY STORY FOR SO LONG. I KNOW I TAKE FOREEEEVVERRR UPDATING BUT I'M EASILY DISTRACTED AND I TRY TO PRIORITIZE WHAT I NEED TO DO OVER WHAT I WANT TO DO. =^.^=**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. BUT YOU ALL ALREADY KNOW THAT. :P**

**I REALLY ENJOYED READING THE REVIEWS FOR THE LAST CHAPTER. :) REVIEWS ARE WHAT GIVES ME THAT EXTRA LITTLE CREATIVE PUSH. THE FUEL FOR MY WRITING. YOU ALL ARE GREAT. PLEASE ENJOY THIS NEXT CHAPTER WHERE WE GET TO SEE HARUHI MEET KYOYA'S FAMILY AND SEE THEIR REACTIONS TO HER. AND OF COURSE I WON'T FORGET SOME HEATED LITTLE KISSES FOR THOSE WHO LOVE THEM AS MUCH AS I DO. ;) ENJOY!**

**CHAPTER SONG: I'VE BEEN TRYING TO WRITE TO NO SORT OF SONG PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND BUT I STARTED LISTENING TO OBSESSION BY INNERPARTYSYSTEM AND IT REALLY IS HELPING SET THE MOOD FOR SOME PARTS. XD**

Haruhi's POV:

"Haruhi..." I heard a far away voice say gently but I was too comfortable to open my eyes. "Haruhi. Time to wake up."

"Huh?" I mumbled, opening my eyes. My dad was hunched over, one hand supporting his weight on his crutch and the other shaking my shoulder.

"Kyoya just called me. He'll be here in an hour. You need to start getting ready." My dad informed me and I sat up.

Stretching my arms, I reached over and picked up my necklace. "Thank you. I'll be ready to go soon." I said as I put on the necklace.

"I'm guessing you're wearing that dress." He said while pointing to the dress hanging on my closet door hook. "I've dug around in my hair accessory box and found a headband for you to wear with it. Hurry up. I'll have breakfast made by the time you're done."

"Thanks dad." I said as he left the room. Well, today's the day. A full day with Kyoya. Getting out of bed, I took a quick shower and then proceeded to blowdry my hair. After getting dressed, I found the thin, black headband sitting on the counter in the kitchen. I put it on and went to dig in my closet for a purse. I think I only own one but I know I'll need it to put my phone in since this stupid dress has no pockets. I found a little white one and put my phone in it.

When I went back into the kitchen, my dad was talking animatedly on the phone in his girl voice. "It sounds just heavenly! I can't wait!"

"What was that about?" I asked him as soon as he hung up the phone.

He started fixing his platinum blonde hair up in some kind of bun as he spoke. "One of my customers has agreed to be my patron! He wants to take me to his beach house this coming weekend!" He gushed.

"Patron?" I blinked.

"You know. How do you say it in other words? A sugar daddy!"

"As in, you sleep with him for money and gifts."

My dad's eyes flashed. "Don't use such unseemly language young lady. You don't need to even know what that is yet."

I gave him that, 'you've got to be kidding me' look. "You gave me 'the talk' yourself dad a couple years ago."

"And it was obviously a bad call on my part since you've already got a boyfriend." He said a in what sounded like a miffed tone.

"Dad." I sighed. "You know I'm a good kid. I'd never compromise myself or let myself be compromised."

"I know you're a smart girl Haruhi and I know Kyoya is a gentleman but when put in certain situations, even the most wise of teens can slip up." He limped over to me and put his hands on my shoulders. "I got your mother pregnant when we were seventeen years old. Don't get me wrong, I loved your mother very much and I'd never choose another woman if given the chance but if given a do-over, I would've done things the right way. Courted her, gotten married, laid a foundation for the two of us financially, THEN go on to have kids."

"Dad. I love you. And I promise I'll save myself for marriage. I swear."

He stared me in the eyes for a long moment, judging the truthfullness in my words. Finally, he smiled. "Good girl. Now go eat your breakfast. It's on the table." He kissed my forehead then let go of me.

I ate quickly, watching the clock the whole time. When I had washed the dishes, I ran to the bathroom to brush my teeth and put on a little peach colored lipgloss. I saw my dad come up behind me in the mirror. "Done."

"Nono. That won't do. Go sit at my vanity in the room. I'll handle your makeup." He shooed me in the direction of his room and I sighed, surrendering. When my dad set his mind on something, he didn't quit until he got his way.

Ten minutes later, he allowed me to look in the mirror. It wasn't a bad look. Natural, but still peachy colored. **(A/N: I found an ADORABLE makeup style I just had to use for Haruhi. The pic of it is on my profile. :) I think you'll like it.) **Just as I was exiting the room, the dress snagged on something. "Dad, the dress it caught."

My father came over with his crutches and started trying to free the dress from the door frame. I tried helping but my father put a hand on my shoulder. "Careful, you'll rip it."

"Do you got it?"

"No, don't move. You'll rip it."

The doorbell rang and my heart did a little jump. "I'll get it!" Without thinking, I jerked forward. A loud tearing noise made me turn white as a sheet. Oh no... "My dress..."

"Oh my...My dad frowned. And he's already here. I'll go distract him, go change. Hurry." My dad said before going to the door as quickly as his broken leg would allow.

I tried not to pout as I rushed to my room. Great...Kyoya really wanted me to wear this dress and now I had to go and rip it...stupid, expensive, easily tearable rich people fabric... Throwing open my closet door, I dug around for anything that would be suitable. In the back, I found a dress that was either placed there by my dad or by the twins. Both sounded like plausable reasons. Grabbing the white, lacy sundress, I changed into it quickly and put on some white flats from the closet.

I rushed out to the living room area to find Kyoya and my father talking casually. Kyoya looked in my direction and smiled with a curious look in his eyes. "Hello Haruhi."

"Sorry I took so long. Complications." I said with a frown.

"I promise I'll have her home by curfew." Kyoya told my dad before holding out his hand in my direction. I took it and allowed Kyoya to lead me from the apartment. When we were out of earshot, he turned to me and eyed the dress. "I like the dress but was something wrong with the black one?"

"Uh, yeah. I accidently ripped it." I admitted sheepishly.

He laughed a little laugh. "And how on earth did you manage that?"

"It snagged on my dad's bedroom doorframe. Sorry."

He shook his head. "No apologies. I think I like this dress better. Dark colored clothing doesn't suit you."

"Thank you." I blushed. At the front gate of the complex, I didn't see a limo. I did, however, see a very shiny looking black sportscar. "Is that our ride today?"

"Yes. I hope you don't mind. I thought I could do the driving today." He told me while helping me into the passenger side.

"I don't mind. I like convertable cars." I buckled up and within a few seconds, we were driving. I smiled as the wind blew my hair back and the sun warmed my fair colored skin. We were driving towards the richer community of Tokyo. We passed the upper middle class houses and the condos and even passed many very nice mansions. The trip took about thirty minutes. Kyoya drove up a hill and stopped at a gate. He reached out of the car and pressed a button of a voicebox sticking up from the ground.

*beep* "Ootori residence. State your business."

"Open the gate Harato." Is all Kyoya said before the gate swung open smoothly. We drove down the massive driveway surrounded by many trees. The closer we got to the mansion the larger it seemed. It was downright humungous.

"Wow." I mumbled, feeling out of place. Kyoya parked his car right in front of the large marble porch steps before getting out and running to open my door for me. He opened it and help out his hand for me but I kept my clasped in my lap, my eyes locked on them.

"We're here Haruhi." When I didn't say anything, he knelt down, careful not to let his knees touch the decorative little stones beneath him. "Are you alright?"

I looked up and smiled quickly. "I'm fine. Just...What will they think of me?"

His eyes held some humor but they were compassionate. "I'm not going to lie to your Haruhi. My father is incredibly strict and he will probably show a lot of false kindness today. But once you get to know him better, he'll warm up to you. Besides, none of my family members are home right now, they'll be here to meet you around three."

I blinked. "Oh." I took his head and let him lead me up the steps and into the grand foyer. There were several butlers and maids lined up on either side of the door.

"Welcome Miss. Fugioka." They all said politely.

"Thank you." I blushed. One of the maids stepped forward.

"I can take your purse for you Miss. Fugioka. If you recieve any calls or need it, I'll fetch it for you." She curtsied and took the purse strap from my shoulder.

"Thank you Miss. Hanabusa. My guest and I will be taking our tea in my sitting room. Bring up a tray of breakfast pastries as well." Kyoya told her and she curtsied before rushing off.

Kyoya led me up the stairs and down a hallway to our left. We seemed to walk forever, turning this way and that before he stopped at a door. He opened the door to reveal a very open, room. It had a couple couches set up near a fire, a whole row of bookshelves taking up the far right wall and a desk set up in front of a glass wall covered by transparent drapes. There was two doors on the left wall but I thought it rude to ask what they led to. "This room is yours?"

"Yes. My sitting room and study. One of the only places in this house I can find privacy."

I frowned. "This house is pretty large though."

"It isn't when you have at least one maid in every room and hallway." He said with a vague look of remembered annoyance. He gestured towards the couches and I took a seat near the warm fireplace. I didn't pay too much attention earlier but I now noticed his clothes. He was in a pair of black slacks and men's black dress shoes, much more expensive looking than the ones we wore as a school uniform, and a black, button up shirt. The top button was undone and the sleeves were drawn up to reveal his forearms. I wasn't too big a fan of dark clothing but it looked good on Kyoya with his dark hair and eyes.

He took a seat across from me like a gentleman but I would've rather had him sit right next to me. He held up a finger as I started to rise so I sat back down. "Miss. Hanabusa will be here with the tea soon. After that, would you like a tour of the gardens?"

"Sure. Do I get to see your bedroom?" I asked and immediately shut up. That did not sound right and the look on his face confirmed it. "Uh...I mean. Because you saw mine..." Not helping.

He suprised me by laughing. Not a little laugh like he normally uses but a very loud, cheerful laugh. "I understand. Yes, if you want. But don't tell anyone. This house would be filled with gossip if they knew I took a young lady into my bedroom."

I blushed but laughed with him. There was a knock on the door then so we both clammed up. "Mr. Ootori, I have the tea."

"Come in." He ordered in a very dignified tone and two maids came in, one with a tea tray in hand and the other with a dessert cart. They placed everything on the coffee table between us before exiting quickly. When their footsteps were nothing but little taps in the distance, he stood up and went to sit beside me. Placing an arm around my waist, he handed me my teacup. "Are you hungry?"

"I actually ate before I came here but tea sounds nice." I admitted and he put a couple sugar lumps into my teacup. As I drank my tea, I grew almost uncomfortable. It was the way he was staring at me. His eyes so intense. I took the teacup from my lips. "What?"

He cupped my chin in the hand that wasn't around my waist and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on my lips. After a few seconds, he leaned away and licked his lips. He smirked. "Lemon." He said, commenting on the flavor of tea I was drinking.

I blushed and tried to look away but he still had ahold of my chin. He let go after a second and took my teacup from me. Placing it on the coffee table, he put both hands on either side of my face and kissed me again, this time deeper. After a minute, I felt one of his arms circle my waist. What suprised me more was when I felt myself being lowered down until my back was on the couch. He supported his weight with his other hand as he leaned over me, still kissing me.

A little siren was going off in my head, telling me this was the kind of behavior my dad had been talking about but I chose to ignore it. Both of my hands knotted in his hair and I gasped as he licked my bottom lip. He took that as a good oportunity to stick his tongue in my mouth. We spent a good few minutes laying there, exploring eachother's mouths before we broke away, gasping for air. He stared down at me with the most firey gaze I've ever seen on him let alone anyone else.

He leaned down and kissed my cheek. "I apologize. That was not acceptable."

Part of me wanted to tell him not to lock everything inside himself and to just do as he pleased but I knew where that would get me. Both introuble and full of regret. "It's okay." Is all I mumbled.

He leaned down an inch but leaned back up in the same second. He started to sit upright but something in me, a very stupid something, locked my arms around his neck and pulled him back down with all my might until we were kissing again. Once our lips touched, he stopped fighting it. After a minute, he pulled away from my mouth to trail kisses along my jaw, leaving my face feeling hot wherever his lips touched.

He leaned down a little further a placed a gentle kiss on the pulse point of my neck. I gasped and his head jerked up, his hand over his face. I stared at him in confusion. "What did I do?"

He shook his head, leaning up and pulling me upright with him. "Yūwaku no megami...You're taking my control."

I tried not to, put I couldn't stop myself from pouting. "I don't understand. You're mad cause we kissed?"

He eyed me with gentle eyes while placing a hand on the top of my head. "Like I've said before. I have only so much control and I'd rather not ruin things by snapping."

Part of me wanted to see the calculating, careful shadow king lose control but my logical sense was back in control, telling me it was a bad idea to provoke him any further. "Maybe we should take that walk now."

He nodded. "Good idea."

He took my hand and stood us both up from the couch before leading us from the room. Once outside, my jaw nearly dropped. It was one of those old fashioned gardens with a coy pond and even a sand zen garden placed between a couple peach blossom trees. The whole garden looked to be at least an acre big but most of it was hidden by trees so I wasn't sure. "It's beautiful."

He nodded. "Very. This garden is my mother's pride and joy. It takes up three full acres of our land."

"And the rest of your land?"

"Mostly wooded areas that havn't been cultivated. We've created a barrier to keep guests from wondering into that area if they take a walk. You never know what's out there."

"Do you want to walk in the already cultivated area?" I asked, not waiting for a response. I ran ahead until I was partway into the garden. Then I froze. I was now standing on a walkway surounded by trees. In the distance, I could barely make out a fork in the road.

Kyoya caught up and walked to stand in front of me. He looked at my face, a concerned look in his eyes. "Are you alright Haruhi?"

"Uh...sorry. Deja vu." I said, shaking my head. He raised an eyebrow. "It's nothing." I reassured him before walking around him. At the fork, there was a sign. The left side, the side Tamaki had stood on in my dream, read 'WALKWAY: 3 ACRES'. The side that Kyoya had been on read 'WOODS: UNKNOWN DISTANCE'. The path that led to the unknown wooded area was blocked off by a gate but was nonetheless accessible to anyone that could climb five feet.

"This way." He said, leading me down the safe path. I enjoyed the walk and all the bright colors but afterwhile, it got boring.

"I know you said the other path was off limits Kyoya but I kinda want to check it out."

"Absolutely not. You have no idea what or who is out there. Which reminds me, I left instructions for the maid to put a can of mace in your purse. Keep it with you at all times in the future."

I frowned. "I don't need mace."

"You do." He told me in that same tone of voice he used last time he said this. "We should be getting back to the house soon."

"Come on Kyoya. Five minutes in the wooded area. I'll hold your hand the whole time and I'll leave whenever you say to."

He looked conflicted but after a moment, he nodded. A big smile spead across my face as we hurried back to the fork in the road. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He flipped through them and used a silver one to unlock the gate. He picked up a long stick and took my hand before we stepped through the gate. On the other side was a waist high fencing that went along both sides of us for twenty feet until it abrubtly stopped, leaving us in the middle of the deep woods. He took the stick and rammed it into the dirt, making it stick straight up.

"I don't want us getting lost. We'll need to make sure we can find out way back." He told me. He picked up another one and we started our walk. It was a bit dark here since thick trees blocked out the sun but not alltogether scary. I felt safe as long as Kyoya was here. After thirty feet, he rammed the stick into the dirt and picked up another one. This repeated until we could no longer see the fence in the distance, only a line of sticks. I heard a howling in the distance and I unconciously leaned closer to Kyoya. "We should head back."

"But we've only been here for a few minutes." I pouted.

He looked like he wanted to put his foot down but he sighed and led us deeper in the woods. Eventually, the tree branches were so thick with leaves that the light was completely blocked out. "Okay. We're leaving right now."

"Okay." I mumbled, starting to get a bit freaked out. Kyoya wrapped his arm around me and carfully turned us around till we were facing the direction we came from. After we slowly took twenty steps, we could see daylight again. We passed by eighteen sticks before the gate came into view. He quickly walked us from the woods and locked the gate firmly shut.

"Don't think that can be a regular thing. We can go exploring once we have more people and some real location markers with us." I told me as we walked towards the house.

"Alright. Maybe we could get the whole host club with us-" I started to suggest but then the idea of the wreckless Tamaki, the troublemaking twins and the scared of the dark Honey proved it to be a bad idea. "Uh...nevermind."

"I'm guessing you're imagining them getting lost like I am."

"Yeah. Pretty much the only people that could hold their own in the forest would be you and Mori senpai."

He smiled as if he found what I said comical. "Mori more than myself. I'm not good with directions."

"I figured you would be. Since you calculate everything."

He shook his head. "I can find my way pretty easily in populated areas, even if I've never been there. In wooded areas where all there is is trees, I'm as lost as one can be. If that weren't the case, I wouldn't have needed to use the sticks. I could have just turned around and walked from where I came from."

"I think you would've been fine." I told him, leaning up to kiss his cheek.

"Lunch is in an hour." He told me, looking at his watch. If you want, we can go back upstairs. You did want to see my room right?" He said, smirking.

I blushed as he grabbed my hand and led me back into the house. Oh boy...What have I gotten myself into?


	12. A Day With Kyoya PART 2

**THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO'S READ MY STORY. :) I LOVE READING YOUR REVIEWS. AND ALSO, THANK YOU TO MY TWO BESTIES AMANDA AND AARON FOR BEING MY GUINEA PIGS AND LETTING ME LOOK AT YOUR REACTIONS IN PERSON AS YOU READ SOME OF MY FANFICTION STORIES. :P**

**!DEDICATION! - ALSO I DEDICATED THIS STORY TO MY VERY BEST FRIEND AMANDA. I KNOW YOU WERE PROBABLY SCARED TO READ MY STORY BASED ON A LOT OF THINGS I TOLD YOU BUT YOU READ IT ANYWAY AND I'M THANKFUL FOR THAT. I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW YOU WERE NEVER ARISU...YOU WERE HARUHI. YOU ALWAYS WILL BE. :)**

Haruhi's POV:

When we finally got up to the second story of the Ootori mansion, Kyoya slowed his pace, causing me to slow down as well. I carefully looked in his direction, trying not to look to conspicuous as I did so. He looked almost nervous as we neared the door of the room we had been in earlier. We walked through it slowly and Kyoya led me to the door on the very left of the left wall. "This is it." He told me. "Go ahead."

I bit my lip and reached for the doorknob, turning it and letting it swing open. The door led to a large bedroom with high windows and a bed on some sort of platform. It was a dark room, the blinds in the room blocking out most of the light. I jumped when the lights flicked on and looked over to see Kyoya with his hand on the lightswitch. **(A/N: If you're at a loss as to what his room looks like, in the episode that does a flashback to where Kyoya met Tamaki, it shows his room several times.) **

"It's..." I racked my brain for a suiting choice of words. "Very clean."

I heard him chuckle softly. "It only is as long as my older sister never comes to visit."

I turned around and raised an eyebrow. "You have an older sister?"

He nodded and pointed to a little picture frame sitting on the dresser that took up half a wall. In the photograph was a smiling woman with long black hair and dark eyes. She wore a bright sundress and was holding a white rose in her hand. In the background were some rose bushes. "She looks a lot like you. Almost like a female twin."

He smiled. "She may look quite like me but our personalities are very different. She's wild, disorganized and kind-hearted while I'm...not." When he finished talking, his eyes were downcast.

I frowned, a feeling of compassion coming over me. "Kyoya. While she may be those things, you have many traits that make you a great person too. You are kind-hearted and you have been a bit wild on occation. And as far as disorganized, I think you prefer being organized anyway." By the time I finished speaking, Kyoya was looking over at me with those unreadable eyes once again.

After a moment, he smiled his host smile. "You're right." I wanted to press the issue but when Kyoya gave me that superficial smile, I tended to back down. It's like a wall of ice. I'm suprised none of our guests have noticed.

I looked around the room again. The only piece of furniture that truely stood out in his room was the bed. Even from this distance, the comforter on it looked incredibly soft. Every piece of furniture in this room probably individually costs more than I could make in several months of after school work. I eyed him out of the corner of my eye as I stepped away from the dresser and towards the couches that took up half his room. I had half a mind to walk over to the bed and feel the comforter but that seemed to be a bad idea since me being in his room was a risk in itself.

This room was pretty depressing with no natural light in it. Taking my chances, I went over to the wall of windows and found a button that was labeled 'blinds'. Pressing it, a mechanical sound was heard and the blinds began to draw back to let in light. I smiled. The room looked like a nice place to be now.

"Haruhi, no." Kyoya said quickly before rushing over to me and pressing the button. The blinds went back into place and I frowned.

"Why? Does the light bother you that much?"

"No, it's not that. As long as you're in my room, the blinds should remain closed. Somebody could see into my room if they're open."

"Oh." I blushed. I felt stupid now. "Sorry."

He shook his head, a smile on his face. "For an honor student, you can be very foolish."

I scowled. "No I'm not."

"Oh really?" He raised an eyebrow and began advancing towards me with a strange look in his eyes. I'm not sure why but the look made me feel very self concious so I backed away from him. The closer he tried to get to me the more I'd back away. He had us circle around and I had to stop when my ankles hit something. I nearly tripped but I was able to steady myself by stepping onto it. I looked down at the platform then behind me. I was a foot away from his bed. "You say you aren't foolish but what you've done proves you wrong."

I gulped. "What have I done?"

"You've put yourself in a compromising situation with me." He said, smirking.

"No, not really. You wouldn't do anything to me without my permission." I stated, knowing my words to be true.

He looked thoughtful for a second, thinking through his response. "I wouldn't." He finally agreed. "But I do want to. Just keep that in mind."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and, with his hands in his pockets, began heading for the door. Not wanting to be in this room for another second, especially without him, I followed him out of the dark bedroom. After that, we went down for lunch.

We had a light lunch since we'd be going out to eat for an early dinner. After that, we spent the remaining time touring the rest of the house. There were certain rooms of the house Kyoya pointed out as off limits and I tried to make a mental note of them since I'd probably be coming back to Kyoya's house. Some of witch were his parents bedroom and his father's study. Those I understood but one I did not. As we were walking up a smaller set of stairs to the third floor, he pointed to a room at the end of the hall. The doors looked like they were made out of solid gold and had a password key box set up next to them.

"This is a room I've been told to stay out of myself. My father keeps it under password so you couldn't get into it even if you tried." He explained.

"What's in it?" I asked.

"I honestly don't know. He refuses to talk about it. I've done some research and I believe that the only thing my father could possibly keep in there would be some sort of archive room. It's probably where he stores his most valuable posessions and most important documents. I've only asked him once and his response was that he'd silence me if I ever found out what was behind those doors regardless of the fact I'm his son."

My eyes bugged out at the casual way Kyoya said that. "Your father threatened to kill you if you went in there? And he meant it?"

He nodded, adjusting his glasses. "My father isn't a very kind man Haruhi. None of the Ootori leaders ever are. When I was young, I remember how my grandfather used to visit. My father is a very powerful man with an iron rule over everything but I can't ever forget how he would crumble when my grandfather was here. He's become the obediant son that did everything his father said."

My only memories of Kyoya's father was of the day of the festival when Kyoya's father slapped him. I remembered how angry I was and how badly I had wanted to hit that man for hurting my senpai. Maybe I had liked him even back then. It would explain me defending Kyoya to a man I would normally cower in fear of. "And your older brothers? What are they like?"

"They are the Ootori legacy. My eldest brother is like a young version of my father. My second eldest brother is a bit kinder but he wants to please my father so he's trying very hard to act like my eldest brother."

"And you? Do you want to please your father?" I had to ask.

"I did. I don't want his wrath, even now. But I've changed a lot. I've spent my entire life in the shadow of my older brothers and I always tried my best to outshine them in hopes I could get some form of acceptance. But then I decided something."

"And what's that?"

He didn't speak at first. He turned to me a little more and reached out to stroke my face with his fingertips. "I realized that just because my best wasn't enough for my father, it didn't mean that my best wasn't good enough. I also decided that there are things infinatly more precious than securing a stupid company."

I smiled. "That's a good attitude to have."

I put my hands on his shoulders and lifted myself up. I was about to kiss him when a maid came out of nowhere. "Excuse me Mr. Ootori. Your parents are home. They're waiting in the East parlor on the first floor."

Kyoya nodded and the maid scampered off to wherever she had been before. As soon as she was out of sight, my nerves came back. I stood back down and dropped my arms. "Don't worry." He said softly, taking my arm in his.

As we decended the stairs that led to the second floor, I began to panic. "What do I do?"

"You let me introduce you, you smile and then you turn on that charm I know you have in you. Also..."

"Yes?"

"Please don't mention the fact your father is a transvestite. I'd rather save that juicy little detail for a nother time if you don't mind."

I frowned but I knew he was right. Even I worried about how people I know would take my father's love of wearing women's clothing. "Alright."

He pulled me closer to him until our arms were linked and our sides brushed together as we walked. We rounded the hall corner and came to stand at the middle of the large grand staircase before we began our descent. At the bottom of the stairs, a maid was waiting to escort us into the parlor. She opened the doors to a room just to the right of the stairs.

"Master. Your son and his guest are here to see you." The maid said softly before rushing from the room. Kyoya walked us both in. The downstairs East parlor was a darker room. The only light that was in the room came from a dim chandelier and from the fire crackling in the fireplace. Sitting on the couch near the fire that sat furthest from the door was Kyoya's father. Next to him was a dark haired woman with a small, fragile-looking frame.

"Sit." Mr. Ootori ordered in what Haruhi thought to be a hospitible way. For him. He gestured toward the sofa that sat across from the one he and his wife sat on. Kyoya wasted no time in leading us to the sofa. He let me take the seat nearest to the fire, probably knowing how I liked the warmth.

"Good afternoon father. This is Haruhi Fujioka. You've met."

Now that we were all seated, I could clearly see his father's face. His eyes, like Kyoya's, were very expressive. A blaze of curiosity was there with an even more powerful look of indifference. He was trying to convey with his eyes that my presence here was no prefered but would be tolerated for the time being. "Hello Haruhi. We meet again. This is my wife Yumi. My son tells me you've developed a special relationship with him."

I'm not sure why but the almost unnoticable smirk on his face really made me angry. "Yes. It's wonderful to see you again. And it's wonderful to meet you Mrs. Ootori." I said in the most polite tone I had. The tone I specifically used for the customers that were shy and didn't know what to say. It was a tone that tended to put them at ease. "I wasn't aware Kyoya talked about me."

I felt Kyoya tense beside me. Did I say something wrong? "He does. I expect my sons to inform me when anything important goes on in their life. Any secrets kept in this household are kept by all."

I resisted the urge to snort. If his words were true, he wouldn't make death threats towards his sons to stay out of his golden doored room. I opened my mouth slightly to speak but closed it right away. How did I respond to what he said? Lucky for me, a knock at the door saved me from saying something else to make Kyoya upset.

"Come in." Mr. Ootori said firmly and a maid came in the room and curtsied.

"Pardon me. The limo is ready to take everybody to the Ginza Kyuubei." She said with another curtsey.

I was suprised to hear the name of the restaurant we were heading to but I didn't show it. We all stood and walked silently out to the limo. Kyoya and I said on one side of the limo and Mr. Ootori and his wife sat across from us. The drive was dead silent. I was quickly gathering that car trips were meant to be a silent affair for the Ootori family.

The restaurant we were heading towards, the Ginza Kyuubei, is known as the most famous sushi restaurant in Japan. The food was expensive and the service was incredible. I had personally enver eaten there but my father was taken to it once by a customer from the bar he works at and he told me how incredible it was. Specifically, the reason I was suprised we were going there, was because I knew the Ootori family and as expensive and traditional as this restaurant was, it wasn't a place I pictured them going to. I more pictured Mr. Ootori enjoying a five star western style restaurant.

I kept my eyes trained on the window during the close to forty minute ride. I understood now why we headed out at four. By the time we finished talking, got in the limo and arrived at the restaurant, it was already five o'clock and I was hungry. When the limo stopped, Kyoya and Mr. Ootori both exited their side and ran around to open the door for Mrs. Ootori and myself. I let Mrs. Ootori exit first then took Kyoya's outstretched hand and exited myself.

There was a literal line of people waiting to get in the restaurant. Judging by the way the four of us sweeped into the restaurant, I guessed we had a reservation. At the door, Mr. Ootori took off the overcoat of his suit and handed it to a woman in a kimono who waited by the door. Another woman rushed over and did a very formal bow. "Welcome master Ootori. Your private room is ready."

I raised an eyebrow. Wow. Not only a reservation but a private room even. I've been told that they charge you money just to hold the reservation of a private room and charge you more if you cancel the reservation. I looked up at Kyoya who was already looking at me. His face was serious but his eyes held some humor. He was probably laughing at me on the inside. Did I look that amazed?

The woman led us through the rooms full of people to a back room with tatami mats and a table with four floor chairs. We were instructed to remove our shoes and place them in the little shoe cubby set up beside the door. After that, we all took our seats. "We have the menus already set on the table for you as requested. What type of drink will I be bringing for you?"

"Bring sake for myself, herbal tea for my son and wife and..." Mr. Ootori paused and looked at me. He was sitting directly across from me so his stare was a bit more menacing looking.

"Uh..." I mumbled and blushed.

"Lemon tea." Kyoya said softly and my eyes widened a bit. He knew my favorite tea?

The woman bowed and exited the room. Mr. Ootori was now eyeing his son with unreadable eyes. "So it seems my son even knows what you wanted to order." He said with a dry smile.

Kyoya nodded, keeping his eyes down on his menu. I lifted my menu up and eyed the things on it. "I recomend the assorted sushi." Kyoya said softly, still looking at his menu.

"So tell me about your family Haruhi." Mr. Ootori said in a way that told me answering this question wasn't optional.

"My father is...a performer." I said softly, unsure of how else to answer.

He nodded with serious eyes, not questioning me further. "And your mother."

"In Heaven sir."

He didn't apologize for bringing her up like most people would or even flinch at his own calousness. He just changed the subject as if we had just been talking about the weather instead of my mother's death. "How has my Kyoya been in school?"

"He has been doing very well sir as I've been told."

"And that silly little host club he spends his time managing?"

I tried to keep all emotion off my face and from my voice that would upset him even though I really wanted to reach across the table and hit him. "It's been doing very well. Kyoya has gone above and beyond the school's expectations and made the Ouran Host Club the most successful and profitable club in Ouran Academy's entire extracuricular history." I said honestly, trying to bring positive attention to Kyoya.

Mr. Ootori raised an eyebrow. "I'm pleased to hear that. I'm glad to see my son hasn't been wasting his time completely."

"Not at all." I said firmly but politely. I wanted to be curtious to the man who was treating me to dinner but I also wanted to show him I wouldn't back down and let him shove me into a corner with his words and stares.

"Your drinks sir." Came a soft voice. A teenage girl came in with one tea tray on each hand. She sat the trays on the table and poored a cup of sake for Mr. Ootori before giving everyone else their drinks. She left the teapots on the table and exited the room.

The tense atmosphere in the room seemed to lessen as soon as Mr. Ootori had a couple cups of sake in his system. His stiff shoulders loosened and I felt comfortable enough to pick up my own teacup and take a careful sip from it. It was warm and relaxed me from the inside out. After setting down my teacup, I put my hands in my lap. A second later, Kyoya had laced his fingers with mine. He was able to do so inconspicuously since the chairs on each side of the table were set close enough together that our shoulders almost touched.

"So tell me Kyoya, how did this happen?" Mr. Ootori asked and I wasn't sure if what he said was supposed to be rude or not. "How did you come to call this young lady your girlfriend?"

"Just as any normal relationship would start." He answered. His response was vague. Too vague for his father.

"Was this relationship spur of the moment or was a lot of thought put into it first?" Mr. Ootori asked. I was sure the question was directed towards Kyoya but being the dense person I was, I didn't comprehend that until I had started to speak.

"Kyoya always puts thought into everything he does. Nothing is ever done irrationally."

His father's eyes darted to me and held my stare. "I know. He is a clever boy. But I do often believe he doesn't put enough thought into the right things."

I saw Kyoya's shoulders tense out of the corner of my eye at his father's words. I wanted to ask Mr. Ootori what he meant but a woman was already coming in to take our orders. Mr. Ootori ordered the Omakase set course meal for each of us and then we handed in our menus. The woman left, leaving us all in awkward silence. I picked up my teacup with the hand that wasn't laced with Kyoya's and took a drink before sitting it back down.

"As I was saying." Mr. Ootori began after drinking half of his third cup of sake. "Each of my children are expected to be their best. My eldest son is already married and managing one of my companies. My daughter is married to one of my business partner's sons. My second eldest son is engaged to the daughter of a wealthy electronics company owner and he will be managing another one of my companies very soon. I also expect the best from Kyoya and that is way I say he does not put enough thought into the right things."

"I'm not sure I understand Mr. Ootori." I said softly, not trying to offend him or embarass Kyoya.

Mr. Ootori gave me a hard stare. "I realize my son is still young. But his future's path has already been mapped out and he often sways from course. This host club he wastes his time with will soon be behind him once his graduates. Since he is my third son and is therefore unable to inherit any of my companies, his only responsibility is to marry and to marry well. Wealth is not the most important part of our world Haruhi Fujioka. Reputation and power is. The money we possess takes a backseat to the Ootori thirst for power and success."

I was floored. I was now squeezing Kyoya's hand so tightly, he had to take his hand away and flex his fingers before taking my hand again. "Yoshio dear, I believe this conversation is a bit too heavy. You're frightening her." A soft, melodical voice said. It was Kyoya's mother. It was the first time she had spoken all evening.

Mr. Ootori eyed his wife quickly before turning back to me with the fakest smile I had ever seen. This man wouldn't survive one day as a host. "I apologize my dear. I guess I havn't made the best first impression."

"It's perfectly alright sir." I whispered, afraid my voice would break if I spoke any louder. I felt like crying. Mr. Ootori's words were a nail in the coffin. He was telling me I wasn't good enough for his son and that he wouldn't allow us to stay together for long.

After that, there was a silence one could only find in the midst of the cemetary. As dinner flew by, no one spoke. After we finished eating the most delicious food I had ever eaten, we all stood and went to put on our shoes. Once outside, I saw that it was already night. I remembered that my purse was still behind held by one of the maids so I had no way of checking the time. I hope my father wasn't worried.

When we got back in the limo, I saw a little glowing clock built into an arm rest. It was 8:04. Oh great...I'm going to be late getting home. I hope dad won't be too upset. Just as the ride to the restaurant was quiet, so was the ride back to the Ootori mansion. Once there, Mr. Ootori bid us goodnight as he and his wife went up the stairs to retire for the evening. When they were out of earshot, I frowned.

"I'm going to be late."

"It's alright. See the maid standing near that door? Ask her for your purse then call your father. I'll have the car brought around."

I nodded as we parted ways. The maid fetched me my purse and I pulled out the cellphone and clicked my dad's cellphone's speed dial number. It rang several times before I finally heard a click. "Hello? Dad?"

"Haruhiiiiiii!" My dad slurred. I could hear music in the background and laughing. "How's my baby?"

"Dad? Are you drunk?"

"Just a leeeetle." He began to laugh loudly and I rolled my eyes. "I'm throwing a little party with some of my coworkers deary. I'm actually not home right now. I'm pulling an aaallllll nighhhtteerrr!"

At those words, several people in the background started cheering. I sighed. "Dad. Maybe you should come home. Kyoya is going to take me home right now."

"I'm sorry baby but daddy can't leave. My patron is going to show up at the bar soon to join the party." My dad said with a giggle.

I frowned. "So I'll be alone tonight?"

"You're welcome to go to one of your girlfriend's houses tonight for a sleepover."

Has my dad forgotten that I have no girlfriends to go to the houses of? "Dad..."

"Relax Haruhiiiii! The party is just starting! Be a good girl and promise me you'll get to school on time tomorrow."

I sighed. "Fine dad. I love you. Goodnight."

The line went dead after that. It was then that I noticed Kyoya standing a couple feet from me with curious eyes. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah I guess. My dad's drunk beyond all belief and he's gonna pull an all nighter at the bar."

"So you'll be alone tonight?" He asked in a strange way, his gaze drifting towards one of the large windows near the door. My eyes followed to where he was looking. I looked at the night sky and in the distance, a flash of lightning was seen.

"I'll be fine." I tried to say convincingly but on the inside, I was in a panic. A thunderstorm...great. Was mother nature out to get me too?

He shook his head. "I'll take care of it." He told me with such confidence that I forgot my fear for a few seconds. "Excuse me for a second." He walked up the stairs and returned five minutes later with a backpack on his back. I raised an eyebrow but he just smiled at me. "Don't worry."

He took my hand and led me out to his convertable that had been pulled around front by someone. The hood of the convertable was pulled up for the sake of the approaching storm. He helped me into my side of the car and within a few seconds, we were driving.

The drive seemed to take much less time than it had when we had driven to his home this morning. Judging by the backpack that was now sitting in the backseat, I understood that Kyoya planned to spend the night with me tonight. How would his father react to that? How would my father react to it? Well, knowing my father, as long as I married Kyoya Ootori he could care less if I got myself knocked up by him.

We pulled in front of the complex and Kyoya reached in the back to grab his bag. We headed to the door of my apartment and unlocked it using the hidden key. As soon as we were standing in the middle of the living room with the front door locked, my resolve crumbled and gave way to nervousness and embarassment. "Uh...did I do alright at dinner tonight?"

"Yes you did. Tonight went better than I expected." He stated while sitting his backpack on the kitchen table. He walked towards me, his eyes light and his smile very inviting. He closed the distance between us and kissed me quickly. "I was very impressed about how you handled this evening."

"Thank you." I blushed.

"There's just one thing I really want to discuss. I want to apologize for my father. What he said was uncalled for and I can tell it really shook you."

"But it's also true. You'll soon have to marry some rich girl your father will approve of." I said softly, not wanting to cry but the tears betraying me.

"I told you Haruhi...I don't care what my father wants me to do. I'm deciding what I want in life now. That includes...you." He blushed, wiping away the few tears that escaped.

"Kyoya..." I whispered as his lips began to draw nearer to mine. Instead of kissing my lips, he kissed my jaw.

"Yes?" He murmered, his lips returning to hover over mine.

"I think..." What was I saying? So many emotions were waring with eachother inside me. One in particular was winning. "I think I'm in love with you Kyoya." I said straight out, never being one to beat around the bush as I've been told.

My half closed eyes could just make out the smile on Kyoya's face. "I think I'm in love with you too."

And then he closed the distance, kissing me as the thunder rumbled in the distance.

**THAT WAS REAAAALLLYYY DIFFICULT TO WRITE. I HAD TO HAVE A FRIEND HELP ME FINISH IT FOR YOU GUYS. :P I HOPE YOU LIKED IT. IT TOOK A LOT OF EFFORT. **

**!BTW: THE ****Ginza Kyuubei** **IS A REAL JAPANESE SUSHI RESTAURANT IN JAPAN. I WILL INCLUDE A LINK TO THEIR WEBSITE ON MY PROFILE IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN SEEING IT. IT'S REALLY A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.**


	13. Our First Fight

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS SO FAR! YOU GUYS ARE REALLY GREAT. :D**

**DISCLAIMER: SEE CHAPTER ONE.**

**ALSO, A BIG SHOUTOUT TO MY BESTIE AMANDA FOR BEING AN INSPIRATION FOR MY STORY WHEN I FEEL THAT UNFRIENDLY JERK CALLED WRITER'S BLOCK CREEPING UP ON ME. A LOT OF THE PERSONALITY IDEAS FOR MR. OOTORI CAME FROM HER. ENJOY THIS CHAPTER!**

Haruhi's POV:

I woke up earlier in the morning than I expected to. When I looked at the clock, I saw that it was only 4:30 in the morning. I curled into a ball and snuggled deeper into my blanket, my eyes closing on their own. Then I heard something. My eyes snapped open. Oh no...what if somebody had broken in? My dad isn't home and I have no way of protecting myself save for the can of mace Kyoya... oh yeah. Kyoya is here.

I leaned over the side of my bed and saw Kyoya sleeping soundly in his makeshift bed. I must've heard him move in his sleep. As I stared at the dark haired sleeping boy, my mind went back to the previous night.

_FLASHBACK_

_We had just told eachother we loved eachother. Or we thought we did. I still wasn't sure if saying I love you was a bad thing since we had only been going out for less than a week. but I've known Kyoya for over a year now. Maybe it's okay..._

_We were still kissing, our arms wrapped around eachother, when another rumble of thunder sounded. This time, it was much closer to us and I jumped. He pulled away to look at my face, his eyes understanding. _

_"I'm here for you. I promised I'd take care of it and I will." He said. "Where are your extra blankets?"_

_I got out the blankets for him and began setting them up in the living room when he picked up the pile of them from me and carried them into my room. He set them up to the right of my bed before reaching into his backpack and taking out his laptop. He walked over to the window of my room and shut the curtains before going back to his laptop. I raised an eyebrow as he started typing blindingly fast._

_A couple seconds later, calming music was playing softly. I didn't recognize the piece by name but the melody seemed familiar. _**(A/N: The music playing is called Serenity, played by Roy Todd. You can look him up on youtube. The song sounds really good when you play it while reading this chapter. I'm sort of imagining the song as the very essense of Kyoya and Haruhi.) **_I felt instantly relaxed by this soft music. _

_"I'll let you change for bed. May I use your restroom?" _

_"Yes." I whispered, still focusing on the song. I all but forgot the aproaching storm. While Kyoya was in the restroom, I changed into my pajamas, careful to put the pearl necklace on my side table so I wouldn't forget it in the morning. Just as I was crawling onto my bed, Kyoya knocked softly. "Come in."_

_He opened the door, sitting the clothes he had been wearing into his backpack. He was now in a pair of black pajama bottoms and a grey t-shirt. "The storm will be right overhead anytime now Haruhi. If you want, I'll lay down with you until you fall asleep."_

_I blushed but nodded in agreement. He sat beside me, his head resting against the wall as he pulled me into his arms. The storm had already begun. Another peaceful song was playing from Kyoya's laptop. A loud clap of thunder was heard and I felt the apartment shake just a little bit. Or was I shaking? Kyoya wrapped his arms around me more tightly. I felt him bury his face in my hair for a second before he leaned his head back against the wall._

_"Will your family be upset about you running off for the night like this?" I had to ask._

_"No." He answered simply, not saying anything else on the matter._

_Kyoya held me in his arms until the storm had passed and I was fast asleep._

_END FLASHBACK_

I smiled. He must have crawled down into his pallet last night. I saw that his computer was sitting beside him. I could see a faint glow on Kyoya's face which told me he had accidently left it on. Careful not to wake him, I crawled out of bed and looked at the screen. His media player was open. I closed it and shut down his computer. I learned my lesson the last couple times. Don't look at his files if you don't want your head bitten off.

"Thank you." Kyoya mumbled.

"I'm sorry if I woke you. What are you thanking me for?"

"For respecting my privacy and not going through my computer files again." He said with a soft chuckle, his eyes barely open. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going back to bed. You're the last person I'd want to turn into the 'demon lord' in front of as everyone else puts it."

He was back asleep in a matter of seconds. I crawled back into bed and fell asleep myself. When I awoke again, I saw Kyoya awake and dressed in his uniform. The blankets he slept on were folded and he was leaning against the wall by the door with his laptop, typing away. "You're already up?" I asked.

He looked up, his dark eyes looking very tired. "Yes. I was about to wake you up. I've got my car with me so we can drive to school in about an hour."

"You don't have to give me a ride Kyoya. I don't mind walking."

Instead of responding to that, he pointed towards the window. He had drawn back the curtains at some point while I slept and, although there was no thunder or lightning, it was still raining. I frowned and looked at my alarm clock. It was seven. Half an hour past the time I usually got up to get ready for school. He seemed to notice my eyes on the clock. "I turned it off so you could sleep in a little."

"Well that was unnecessary." I pouted, throwing back the covers and going to fetch my uniform out of my closet.

"But I can wager on the fact you probably feel more rested than you normally do."

I stretched my arms above my head. He was right. I slept better last night than I have in years. "Thank you." I whispered. He closed his laptop and stood up, his eyes on me. He walked over to me slowly, a smile on his face. His eyes darted to the side and he reached for the pearl necklace sitting on the bedside table.

"Turn around." He ordered gently and I did, letting him place the necklace around my neck. When he had clasped it, I turned around, startled by how close he was. **(A/N: Now listening to another classical piece called Twilight by Roy Todd. Beautiful and emotional piece.)** His eyes looked very...sad. He wrapped his arms around me, pressing his face into my neck. He shoulders shook and I was startled.

"Kyoya...Kyoya, what's wrong?" I tried to ask him as I wrapped my arms around him.

"I'm sorry Haruhi."

"For what?"

He took a deep breath before pulling away from me. His expression had turned back to the mask. "Nothing. Forgive me, I forgot myself for a moment." He walked back to retrieve his computer.

Confused and upset, I rushed from the room to take my shower. I spent longer than necessary in the shower, wanting to postpone going back to face him. I don't know why but what he said terrified me. It's almost as if he was apologizing for something he was about to do. I knew for sure that nothing he had done so far required such a sincere apology. An hour later, we were ready and out the door, our stomachs full of the breakfast I had just cooked. Neither of us mentioned the earlier apology. We walked out to his parked car, both sharing a black umbrella.

"Haruhi, if you want, we can walk using the umbrella to keep out the rain. You do live only a block from the school and it's difficult getting a parking space usually."

"That sounds fine. It's barely raining anyway." I agreed as we started the short walk to Ouran Academy.

We didn't speak during the walk. We just shared a comfortable silence, our arms wrapped around eachother's waist and Kyoya holding umbrella over us. When we got to the gate of the school, we dropped our arms, not wanting to cause a scene by appearing so close. Right outside the door, a door greeter took the umbrella and offered to put it away from us. Stupid rich school.

When we got inside, we headed for the music room. During the mornings, I would usually head to the library if I had any spare time before school, which I hadn't lately, but Kyoya prefered to spend his mornings in the empty third music room so I agreed to go there as well. We had at least twenty minutes before the rest of the host club would randomly show up there.

At the door, Kyoya unlocked it and ushered us inside. He placed his overnight backpack in a cubbord and set up his laptop on a table. "Haruhi, would you mind making us some tea?"

"Sure. What kind do you want?"

"Anything is fine. Whatever you would prefer." He said with a wave of his hand. There was something on his mind, I could tell. I resolved to question him about this morning as soon as I finished making the tea. I went to the kitchenette set up in one of the music room's side rooms and searched for the lemon tea. Once I had finished boiling the water, I fixed the tea and put it into one of the teapots underneath the counter. Sitting the teapot on a tray with a coule cups, I rushed back into the main room.

To my dismay, the twins picked today to show up early. Oh well. I guess I'll have to question Kyoya later. "Hey Haruhi! Get a couple cups of that for us!" They said in unison. I sighed, going back into the kitchenette to fetch two more cups.

The twins pulled me over to a table about three feet from the one Kyoya was sitting at. I poored them some tea and then poored Kyoya a cup. I was about to get up and take it to him when the twins each put a hand on my shoulders to sit me back down. "Nono! If senpai wants a cup, he has to sit with us." Hikaru said with a wink.

"Come on you two, just cut it out." I said tiredly. Wow. The best night of sleep I've had in years and it takes five minutes with the twins to feel like I've been awake for days.

"It's a test Haruhi." Kaoru explained. "We're seeing if he cares more about that dumb computer of his or if he cares more about you."

I wasn't even facing Kyoya but I somehow knew he was glaring at the twins. "You guys, that isn't fair. He's tired and he just wants some tea."

"Alright fine." They sighed, letting me go. I got up and placed the tea on the table beside Kyoya.

He looked up at me and smiled. He motioned with his eyes to look at the computer. I did. He had opened a word document.

**Don't listen to those imbeciles. I'd smash this computer to pieces for you.**

**But for the record, very important information is on it including the details of your debt and I'd prefer you didn't ask me to.**

I blushed, trying to bite back a smile. "Kyoya senpai!" The twins yelled, running to stand in front of us. He closed the word document quickly even though they couldn't see the screen. "We have something to ask you."

Kyoya and I both looked at them exectantly. Hikaru and Kaoru's eyes were widened and their lips were stuck out, giving a puppy pout that only the female guests of the club would actually fall for. "And what would that be?" Kyoya asked, sighing.

"Can we take your girlfriend out today after school?" They asked bluntly, not beating around the bush.

Kyoya, who had resumed typing, froze in place. He looked up, his eyes so dangerous that both the twins took a step back. "And what makes you think I'd ever agree to that?"

"Awww. Come on senpai!" They said in unison.

"It's not like we're asking to take her on a real date. We just wanna hang out with our friend." Kaoru said with pleading eyes.

"You can't monopolize her now that's you two are together." Hikaru added.

I frowned. "Why isn't anyone asking me what I think? Shouldn't it be my decision. Kyoya's my boyfriend not my father."

Kyoya looked from the twins to me, his stare calculating. "What is it that you want Haruhi? Do you want the twins to take you out after school?"

"I'd honestly have to say no." I answered. "I always seem to regret saying otherwise."

The twins both pouted. "Awwww. Please? Pretty please? We'll let you pick where we go!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? So anywhere I want?"

They both smiled devious little smiles, sensing an easy victory. "Anywhere at all." The confirmed.

"Alright." I smirked. "How does this sound? The setting is a forest at night where we run through the trees and play hide and seek with flashlights."

They smiled widely. "Sounds great!"

I could feel the anger rolling off Kyoya. He knew exactly where I was talking about. "We'll do that on one condition though." I said.

"Anything!" They yelled.

"Kyoya, Tamaki senpai, Honey senpai and Mori senpai get to go as well."

Their smiles practically hit the ground then. "Well how is that fair? It's supposed to be the three of us." Hikaru argued.

"Take it or leave it."

The twins eyed eachother, sharing a private conversation in a way. Finally, they looked back at me and sighed. "Deal."

I smiled. "Great. Then we'll all head to Kyoya's house this sunday evening with his permission and go run around in the woods."

"Haruhi...May I speak with you for a moment?" Kyoya said in a low, ominious tone.

I gulped. "Sure."

One look at the twins had them running for the door to give us some privacy. As soon as they were gone, Kyoya stood up and removed his glasses. He pulled a little white cloth from his blazer pocket and began to clean the lenses. "I told you we'd never go back there until it had been developed."

**(A/N: I'm currently listening to Turning Tables by Adele. It helps set the mood in my mind.)**

"No. You told me we'd go back with more people and some proper location markers."

"I also recall you agreeing with me that Tamaki and the twins were the last people we'd want to take with us because of how reckless they are." He whispered in an exasperated tone, coming to stand a foot in front of me.

"It'll be fine Kyoya. We'll keep a close eye on them." I argued back.

It was obvious by the way the little vein in Kyoya's forehead twitched that he was losing his patience. "I also noticed that not only did you recogmend the one location I forbid with the three people I forbid, you also went ahead and decided we'd go at night." He whispered bitingly. This conversation would seem kind of comical from a third party observer. I, however, was ticked.

"And since you're my boyfriend, you've deciding you can now forbid me to do certain things? You aren't the boss of me Kyoya!" I raised my voice a little higher.

"I know that! But I do want you to stay safe and you're making that difficult!" He yelled, throwing his hands in the air.

"I will be safe Kyoya! This is so stupid! Can't you trust me?"

"It's not about trust Haruhi." He went back down to a whisper, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's about common sense. There may be dangerous animals hiding in that forest area."

I nearly growled. "We were just there yesterday and I didn't see anything. You know what, I'm starting to believe it's you who's afraid and you're trying to cover it up by making it about my safety." I said acusingly, crossing my arms.

His eyes narrowed. "I'm not afraid of anything." He said so menacingly, I completely lost my will to fight. I settled for dropping my gaze.

"Fine...I don't care anymore. Just have your way." I mumbled before running from the room. As I opened the doors and ran past the twins, they both called after me. I ignored them. I had to. Kyoya had never spoken to me in that tone of voice and I had to admit it frightened me. Even his anger over his laptop last week didn't match his mood today. I guess it was childish of me to assume he was just afraid himself. He really has been protective of me lately...

"Haruhi? Are you okay?" I heard Tamaki call out, sounding much closer than I would have expected in the seemingly empty hallway. He was just walking from the men's restroom.

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine. I'm just...I'm not feeling well. Could you ask Kyoya for me if I could skip the club meeting this afternoon since we aren't having any guests?"

"Sure Haruhi. Feel better." He said with a concerned look. I turned away from him and continued my walk, trying to get to my class as quickly as possible to avoid talking to anyone else. Too bad I'd have to deal with the twins in class...I'd skip that but I just knew I'd end up getting caught. "Wait! Haruhi. If you're sick, I can walk you to the nurse."

"No, that's ok Tamaki senpai. I'm just gonna head to class." I said over my shoulder.

To my dismay, he kept following me. "Just let me Haruhi. Please..."

I froze in place. I looked over at his face carefully. He looked very sad right now. I supressed the urge to sigh. "Sure."

We walked in complete silence. The closer we came to the nurse's office, the sicker I felt. Maybe I was sick... At the door, the receptionist welcomed us in. I frowned. The nurse's office here looks like a full blown doctor's office. There were a couple students waiting on some expensive looking couches for their turn. Tamaki and I sat together in silence until the nurse finally told us it was our turn.

"I'll wait out here for you Haruhi."

"Don't let yourself be late for class senpai." I said as the door closed.

"Hello Mr. Fujioka. Could you please take a seat on the cott or the chair right there? Your choice." She said in a friendly tone, her smile reasuring. I sat in the chair near the door, my nausia now stronger than ever. I put my head in my hands. "Now tell me. What seems to be the problem?"

"I just feel...very sick."

The nurse knelt beside the chair with a thermometer in hand. She had me put it under my tongue. After thirty seconds, she took it and stared down at the numbers. "You don't appear to have a temperature. When did you start feeling sick?"

"About ten minutes ago." _After the fight_. But I didn't say that last part out loud.

She frowned. "Maybe you've just been putting yourself under too much stress. Stress can make a person feel very sick sometimes. I can't allow you to leave school without a fever so I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to head to class now but if you continue to feel sick, you can stop back in here."

"That's alright. I was planning on going to class anyway."

"Have a nice day Mr. Fujioka. Please feel better." The nurse said with a smile. I smiled back and left the nurse's office. I walked right past the still waiting Tamaki.

"Wait for me Haruhi! What did the nurse say? Cold? Flu? Virus? Black plague?"

I took a deep breath, trying not to lash out at him. I tended to get irritable when I was either stressed or sick. "I'm fine senpai. There's nothing wrong with me."

Before he could question me further, I ran off. I didn't stop running till I was in class. I sat in my seat, breathing heavily. When I had caught my breath, I looked up to see the whole class was empty except for the twins. They were standing in front of my desk with their arms crossed. "Hey guys. Where is everyone?"

"You didn't hear the start of class bell ring?" Hikaru asked me.

I frowned. "No. I guess you can't hear it too well when you're in the nurse's office."

They raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on my trip to the nurse's office. "As soon as the bell rang, our class headed outside. The teacher is letting us study in the garden today. It stopped raining and the sun is shining really bright." Kaoru explained. "We told the teacher we'd wait for you so you'd know where we were."

I nodded numbly, getting up and following the twins from the classroom. "So what were you and Kyoya fighting about earlier?" Hikaru asked me. Both twins stared at me as we walked.

"Nothing..."

"Oh come on. We're worried about you." Kaoru said in a serious voice. "Please. We want to help."

"I don't need anybody's help. Everything is fine."

When we had gotten to the bottom of the stairs, they stood in front of me, blocking my way. "We want an explanation." Hikaru said firmly. "If it was our fault, tell us and we'll talk to Kyoya. He shouldn't be this upset over us spending a few hours with you."

"If it'll make him feel any better, we'll just take you to the zoo for an hour or something." Kaoru added.

I sighed, feeling guilty for making everyone worry or think it was their fault. "It isn't your fault at all guys. It's just the location I chose that has him upset. The forest at the back of his family's property is undeveloped and he's afraid I'll get lost or hurt if we go back there."

They both gave 'you got to be kidding me' looks. "Well that's just stupid." They said at the same time.

"Kyoya should know we would keep you safe there. That and Honey senpai and Mori senpai can more than handle themselves and you." Hikaru said.

I sighed. "I know but he still worries. You both and Tamaki tend to get yourselves in trouble. But you gotta understand this from Kyoya's point of view. He looks at things from every angle and he doesn't want anyone to get lost or hurt. We shouldn't push him too hard. And...I guess I really do like how protective he can be." I said the last part softly, with a smile.

Now that I had said all this, I felt very foolish. The fight with Kyoya was obviously my fault. I needed to apologize. "Yes we understand." Kaoru said, knowing smiles on his face and Hikaru's.

"Are you coming Haruhi?" They asked, beginning to walk again.

"I'll be out there in a second. Tell the teacher I'm going to get a couple tylenol from the nurse before heading out there."

"Sure thing!" As soon as they were gone, I pulled out my cellphone and started typing a text message.

**TO: Tamaki**

**FROM: Haruhi**

**Change of plans. I'll be in club after all today.**

As soon as that sent, I started composing another message. It took several seconds of thought to finally know what I wanted to put.

**TO: Kyoya**

**FROM: Haruhi**

**I'm really sorry. I understand you're worried. If you want, we'll never go back**

**to the woods again. Btw, my class will be in the rose garden till lunch. If**

**you have some free time today, you could come hang out with me.**

After that message sent, I rushed out to the rose garden to meet up with my class.


	14. The Reason I Want You

**I AM SOOO SORRY YOU GUYS! MY COMPUTER CORD BROKE (AGAIN)! I HAD TO WAIT WEEKS FOR MY REPLACMENT AND NOW I AM BACK TO UPDATING! **

**!CHAPTER SONGS CHOICE: FOR THE TIME BEING, I AM LISTENING TO ANOTHER COLLECTION OF ROY TODD PIECES CALLED 'CALM BEFORE THE STORM', 'HOPE SPRINGS'AND 'GO FREE LITTLE HEART'. PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING ROY TODD WILL SUFFICE. =^.^=**

Haruhi's POV:

We had been outside for almost three hours now. We had another half an hour before lunch so after we finished our work, the teacher allowed us to go explore the maze in the rose garden in groups so we wouldn't get lost alone. I walked along with either twin on each side of me, my emotions a mess. Kyoya hadn't messaged back. I understood he was in class and probably kept his phone off during that time but I was a nervous wreck as I imagined what he'd say back.

Maybe he was still really angry and wouldn't forgive me. Maybe he'd think it was a mistake to go out with me...ugh! Why can't I just think of something happy for once today? I was so lost in thoughts, my pace slowed and the twins got several steps ahead of me. They were debating about a specific guest of theirs. The debate was over who she liked better. It wasn't a fight by any means. They both assumed the girl liked the other more instead of themselves.

I knew that if I didn't catch up, I'd end up getting seperated from them but I also didn't want to. If I were alone, I could find a nice place to sit and think. If my memory served correct, up ahead would be a a choice of going three different ways. The straight direction led further back into the maze, the right way circled around to the entrance/exit of the maze and the left way led to the rose covered gazebo. The roof of the gazebo would have kept out the rain last night and this morning so the seats should be dry.

As expected, we came to the three way choice. The twins went right, lost in their conversation and I swerved left. When I found the clearing that the gazebo was in, I froze. There was Kyoya sitting at the gazebo. He was resting his head on his arms that were crossed on the table. I took a few careful steps so I could see his eyes. They were closed. I wasn't sure if he was asleep or just resting.

"Kyoya?" I called carefully and his eyes flashed open, startling me.

He lifted his head a bit, his eyes very sad. "I figured you'd head here eventually."

"How long have you been out here?" I asked, coming to stand beside him. "Did you get my message?"

"I've been out here for about fifteen minutes. And yes, I read it." He stood up, towering over me by more than a foot.

"Kyoya, I'm really sorry." I mumbled, looking at my shoes.

He chuckled. "Yes, I know. I'm sorry too. Honestly, if you want...I can make a compromise."

I looked up, not sure what he meant. "Huh?"

"I'll send back a team of professionals to look through the area. If they find anything that's too dangerous such as an abundance of snakes or wolves, then plans are off. If they deem it safe for us, the entire host club will not only go there to play games but we'll also camp there overnight."

I was overwhelmingly pleased with that idea. "That sounds like a great idea. Thank you."

"It's the least I can do. I've not been behaving like much of a gentleman today."

I blinked. "What do you mean?"

"A gentleman never raises his voice to a lady. Crossdresser or otherwise." He said with a smirk and a little bow. "I apologize once again."

I giggled. "Why do you talk to formally? You don't have to put on a show for me you know."

His smirk got more noticeable. "I never put on a show in front of you."

"But you kind of do." I frowned. "You used to say whatever was on your mind and speak in that 'I don't give a crap' tone of voice but now you don't."

"Maybe that's because I'm putting forth an effort for you. I do speak what's on my mind in front of you but I don't think anyone would consider it polite for me to use the 'I don't give a crap' voice as you put it in front of you."

I closed the distance between us, standing on my toes and wrapping my arms around his neck. He placed his hands on my waist, his eyes on my lips. I blushed. "You don't have to Kyoya. No acts. It's better that way."

"If you insist. So no acts? No formal behavior whatsoever?" He raised an eyebrow.

I was cautious. It seemed like he was looking for a specific answer. "Exactly." I finally answered.

"Good. Then I can do this."

It happened very quickly. His leg went behind mine and pushed forward, knocking me off balance. He wrapped his arms around me and fell with me. We rolled a few times on the now dry grass and stopped with him leaning over me. He pulled his arms from under me and supported his weight above me. His smile was so wide now, I had to blink a few times.

"So this is okay?" He asked, his wide smile now a seductive smirk, his normally black eyes now the color of ash with his mirth.

I couldn't speak at first. I just stared up at him, unsure of what to do. He smile dropped, his eyes narrowing as he consentrated soley on my mouth. Forgetting where we were, I leaned up and closed the distance between us. He used one of his hands to push my shoulders back to the grass while the other supported his weight. He kissed me quickly before trailing his mouth to my neck, finding a sensitive spot near my collarbone.

He reached for my tie and loosened it before unbottoning the first two buttons of my white dress shirt. I really should've stopped him but a big part of me didn't want to. My eyes widened as he sucked the skin into his mouth.

"There is an entire class of people roaming around this maze Kyoya. If they show up and see us like this, neither of us would like the outcome." I said between gasps. My words didn't stop me from knotting my fingers in his hair.

He pulled away. "Nobody will come around here. It's too close to lunch time so they're probably already out of the maze." He ran a finger from the side of my neck to the skin that was peeking out from my unbottoned shirt. It was only a couple inches of skin but he was fascinated with it. He leaned down. I nearly threw him off of me in shock as I felt his tongue dart out and lick me.

"Kyoya! What the heck are you doing?" I yelled, forgetting I should be quiet.

He laughed and leaned away. "Relax. I'm not defiling you." His smirk almost made me want to hit him. His eyes were very serious and I could almost guess what he was thinking. _'But I do want to'. _He had said those words when I had gone to see his room yesterday.

I couldn't understand, for the life of me, why Kyoya would want to. I was very small. Like a boy. "Why?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Why what?"

I blushed. I asked a question that answered the question he hadn't even asked. That's embarassing. "Why do you want me?"

His eyes were gentle then but kept their seriousness. "You don't see what I see."

"How do you see me?" I asked without really thinking.

The hand that wasn't supporting his weight came up to his chin as he contemplated how he wanted to respond. "I see dark lashes and pink lips."

"Many people have that."

The hand on his chin went up as of way of saying yeild. "I wasn't finished. I see little curves that no boy's clothing can hide." As he spoke, the hand in the air went to trace my side, moving upwards and stopping just before the one curve I would've hit him for touching without a moment's hesitation.

"If my curves are so noticeable to you then why does everyone except the host club still think I'm a boy?"

"Maybe because they look but they don't really see. I've also had the privledge of seeing you in female clothes on a number of occations." He smirked before leaning down and kissing me once again.

"And what do we have here?" Someone yelled and I nearly died then and there. Kyoya was off me so fast, I figured he had flew off. It was then that I saw them. Oh. It's the twins.

"What are you two doing here?" I mumbled and Kyoya helped me off the ground.

"Red card!" They yelled. "Kyoya senpai likes to take advantage of little girls."

I wanted to hit them. Kyoya and I both were blushing. "Shut up you two... we weren't doing anything." I defended.

"That's not what it looks like to us." Hikaru said with a weird eyebrow wiggle. Both twins pointed at me. To my embarassment, they appeared to be pointing just bellow my neck. I reached my arms up to cover myself and felt what they were pointing at. Oh yeah. My shirt. I blushed and quickly buttoned it up before fixing my tie.

"Anyway, it's lunchtime. Come on you two." Kaoru said with an arm gesture towards the direction we needed to go.

They both ran for the exit of the clearing as Kyoya and I walked along at a slower pace. Kyoya looked very frustrated. I felt pretty bad for him. The twins could hold this over our heads for a long time. At the exit of the maze, I could just make out the rest of my class heading in the side door of the main building. At this point, the twins wasted no time in running off without us, not wanting to miss a single minute of lunch no doubt.

Kyoya reached over and took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "They're right you know. We should've been more careful." He said.

"Well don't say that to me. I did warn you."

"Yes but you didn't complain too much. You enjoyed it and you know it." He said with a smirk before we entered the building. As soon as we were inside, we let go of eachother's hands.

"I forgot to ask. What did your dad think of me?"

"Judging by his behavior, he's accepting of you for the time being. Which is as much as one can expect from him."

"For someone who was accepting, he sure was hostile during dinner."

"My father isn't one to put on a show in front of people who bring him no benefit."

"You're the same way. I guess you and your father have some similarities after all." I didn't mean any offense when I said this but the look on his face told me he took it as offense.

"I am nothing like that man. My father is a cold, merciless bastard." He said bitingly.

"I'm sorry Kyoya...I didn't mean it negatively. I meant you both take things seriously and know how to find the profit in many things."

Instead of getting angry again, he looked at me as we neared the cafeteria. "How to find the profit." He repeated after me.

"Yes. Like me for example. I'm not rich. I have no lineage that could benefit you yet you're dating me. Where's the benefit in that? I'm not sure but I'm sure you see some somewhere otherwise you wouldn't be here with me."

His eyes softened and he opened his mouth to speak but we were interupted by five different people calling our names. It was depressing. There were many things that had to wait to be discussed. I hope we have some time to talk things out later. I've yet to ask him about his depression this morning before the twins showed up.

During lunch, I explained the plan of the possible camping trip. As soon as I finished, Kyoya chimed in. "If, for any reason, we are unable to use the woods to hold our camping trip, I have a backup. My family owns a cabin by a lake in Niigata. It's a bit far away for a weekend trip but spring break is coming up so I thought we could go then."

"That's sounds great Kyo chan!" Honey senpai yelled out. "We can all go there! When does spring break start?"

"In a couple weeks." Mori said softly to Honey senpai.

"Then it's settled. I'll arranged for us to depart the morning spring break begins and we will stay for five days." Kyoya said, writing something in the little notebook he carried around.

During lunch, I noticed Tamaki looking rather preoccupied. I thought to question him but knew if I did, I'd just draw everyone's attention and something told me he'd be upset if everyone knew of what appeared to be his depression. After lunch, school passed by quickly. During the planning period of our club meeting, we talked out what we would do during our vacation. Even I was starting to get excited.

Kyoya had found a floorplan for the cabin on his laptop. "There are five bedrooms at the cabin. Each room has its own bathroom. There is also a half bathroom on the first floor. The twins will share a room and Haruhi will have her own room. There is enough bedrooms that, if Tamaki and myself share a bedroom, Honey senpai and Mori senpai can have their own rooms. They are our seniors so they may decide."

Mori senpai looked at Honey senpai for his answer. Honey thought it through. "I think I'd like to share a room with Takashi."

Kyoya nodded. "Alright, that settles it then. I'll make preparations for two of the rooms to have two beds in them."

"Not our room." The twins said as they swung their arms around eachother. "We'd like to share."

I rolled my eyes. There's isn't even guests here. Why do they act like that? An hour of chatting later, I got up and retrieved my bag. "I need to get home to check on my dad guys. He's probably home by now."

"Alright then. I'll walk you home." Kyoya said, standing up and packing his laptop in his bookbag. As soon as we exited the room, my mind started racing with different subjects that I could bring up that needed to be talked about. I decided to start with the one one at the front of my mind.

"This morning. Before the twins showed up, you looked really upset about something. What was it?"

"I don't remember." He answered instantly, not wasting a second to even think my question through. His face didn't give away any hidden emotion but he did do a good job of hiding that usually. I could've dropped it but I was feeling obstinant.

"You're lying." I blurted out.

I almost thought I saw him flinch but I wasn't sure because I was only watching him from the corner of my eye. He stopped walking. We stood about ten paces away from the staircase that led us away from this wing of the school. I looked directly at him, now seeing his face clearly. He was debating with himself. Probably deciding whether to tell me or not.

Finally, he took a deep breath and started walking towards a door near the stairs. He opened it and motioned for me to step inside. It was an empty conference room. It was probably off limits to students but he led us in anyway and flicked on the lightswitch. He sat his laptop on the table and sat in one of the swivel chairs, pulling me into his lap. Opening his laptop he began to type something in his computer's search engine.

_Arisu_

Only one result popped up. The same folder I had hacked into. Double clicking it, he typed in something quickly and a picture popped up. The picture of him and the blonde woman sitting on a bench under a cherry blossom tree. "I think about her a lot." He said finally. "She was the daughter of a business partner of my father's and we basically grew up together. She was very strong minded like you with those same big eyes..."

He paused for a second. I was starting to feel uneasy. Without waiting for his response, I voiced my sudden realization. "You were in love with her."

He was silent for a good twenty seconds. I wanted to look at his face to make sure he was alright but I was afraid to. "Is that okay with you? That I still think of her?"

I took a second to really think about how to respond. Finally, I took a deep breath. "Yes it's okay. I understand, I really do. I know how it feels to lose someone you love. I just have one question..."

"And that is?"

"Did you agree to go out with me because you really like me or because I remind you of Arisu?"

It was his turn to think through his response. Part of me was willing to except any response but another part knew that his response could make or break us. After a few long moments of silent thinking, he said, "I did love Arisu but she's not you. I want you because you're you Haruhi, no other reason. There's even been talk that her death was a big conspiracy and she escaped to America when her family's wealth began to crumble...even if she were to show up right this instant, I'd still want you. Do you understand?"

For whatever reason, this was the best response I could've expected or wanted. I smiled. "Yes I understand."

And that was that. We never mentioned her again.


	15. Niigata

**I...AM...SORRY. :(**

**I REPEAT, I REALLY AM SORRY FOR THE PAINFULLY LONG WAIT ON UPDATING. MY COMPUTER IS REALLY REALLY OLD AND IT REGULERLY BREAKS DOWN. IT USUALLY TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS FOR IT TO GET FIXED.**

**I'VE ALSO BEEN BUSY WITH LIFE I GUESS YOU COULD SAY. WE ALL GET THAT WAY. IF IT TAKES ME A FEW DAYS OR EVEN AS LONG AS WEEK TO POST EACH CHAPTER, PLEASE DON'T BE UPSET. I UNDERSTAND IF YOU'RE FRUSTRATED, I AM TOO, TRUST ME. I HATE NOT HAVING THE TIME, THE EQUIPMENT OR THE PROPER MOTIVATION TO UPDATE AND MAKE YOU GUYS HAPPY. **

**PLEASE ENJOY THIS CHAPTER. I'LL TRY TO UPDATE MORE. PLEASE REVIEW AND GIVE ME IDEAS IF YOU'D LIKE. I REALLY NEED THE HELP. :(**

Haruhi's POV:

Well here I am. I'm tired, sweaty and more iritated than one should be when on vacation. The twins are bickering, Tamaki senpai is cold and pouting while Honey senpai is trying to take pictures of everything in sight. You're probably wondering how we got into this mess. Well... here you go.

_FLASHBACK_

_"We're going to Niigata now! Hurry up Haru chan!" Honey senpai yelled as we ran through the Tokyo airport. We did a lot of plan changing while waiting for spring break to get here. In the end, the woods behind Kyoya's estate were checked out and we were told a pack of wolves had made a home in a cave deep within the forest. I was more disapointed than anyone. Maybe it was me wanting to gain some sort of control in my relationship with Kyoya or maybe it was something else. I was glum about it for a few days but I got over it._

_A few days before spring break started, Kyoya decided we would take a plane instead of making it a road trip. (mostly because neither him nor I could survive riding in a car for that many hours with Tamaki senpai or the twins). He somehow managed to get us a private jet for the trip and I tried not to cringe at the extravagence of it. Kyoya's family's vacation house is deep in the mountains of Niigata so when we landed at the airport, we'd need to take a helicopter to it. _

_The jet plane ride lasted less time than I figured it would. Since the jet had not only the main seating room but also a game room, most of the host club spent the ride in there. Kyoya and I had made an unconcious agreement that we would no longer hide anything from one another so I spent the trip looking over Kyoya's shoulder at his computer as he put together a presentation for school. After that, he opened up his picture folder and we looked through various pictures of the host club at different events._

_We were looking at the pictures from the big 'viewing of the blossoms' event from a bit back when the pilot informed us that we were about to land and that we should all return to our seats. A second later, everyone came bustling back here to buckle up, carrying their noise with them. No wonder I was able to relax. The walls between this room and the game room must be soundproof. _

_"This is so much fun!" Tamaki senpai yelled, throwing his arms in the air and nearly elbowing me in the face. "You've never ridden in a jet or a helicopter have you Haruhi."_

_"Nope." I mumbled as I looked out the window. We were so close to the airport now, all I could see was busy city. As soon as the jet landed, we exited right away, a couple of people were waiting to help unload our luggage and escort us to the helicopter we'd be taking. _

_Taking the jet for me wasn't the scary part. I had taken an airplane before with Kyoya so it wasn't a big deal. A helicopter, however, did scare me. I was on the edge of hysteria as we took off into the sky. Everyone turned to stare at me as soon as we were completely up in the air. I must've looked as scared as I felt. For several minutes, everyone took the time to calm me down, an unnecessary gesture but still appreciated._

_I nearly jumped out of skin when two different hands reached for both of mine. It sure wasn't the twins. They were sitting in the seat in front of me. I turned to one side and saw Kyoya who's eyes were on the laptop sitting on his lap. When I turned to the other, I saw a blushing Tamaki senpai. He looked out the little window as he held my hand and I wasn't sure if me pulling my hand away would hurt his feelings or not. I tried to ignore it, keeping my eyes on the other people in the helicopter._

_At that point, Honey senpai whipped out a pink digital camera with bunny stickers on it and started taking picture of the land below us. When I had the courage to look out the window, I calmed down instantly. We were already nearing the mountains. The sky was filled with puffy clouds that practically wrapped around the mountain tops. A few minutes later, we saw a large body of water. We were beginning to fly lower now. I started to panic as we got closer to the ground so I closed my eyes. At some point while my eyes were closed, I felt Tamaki senpai let go of my hand._

_"We're here Haruhi, you can look now." Kyoya said and I snapped my eyes open. We were about ten feet off the ground now. We lowered the rest of the way and were told by the one driving the helicopter that we could exit. We had landed right infront of a cobblestone road that was lined on either side with bright red, laquered fencing. Kyoya walked ahead of us to open the gate that blocked it and we walked right in. The pilot called to us to let us know he'd bring the luggage up in a few minutes. _

_As we walked along, cherry blossoms on either side of us, I could see the cabin ahead getting more and more noticeable. The lake to our right was about a hundred feet from the cabin. The pictures Kyoya had shown us of the mountains in Niigata did it no justice. It was like stepping into the ninteenth century. The cobblestone road led us to a two story, traditional Japanese house. A mossy garden could be seen to the back right of it, several different types of trees were planted semetrically around. To the left, back end, I could see another, smaller house._

_"What's that?" I asked, pointing to it._

_"The bathhouse. This cabin was built in almost total tradition. We'll have to take our baths in there. There is also the hotsprings behind it that we can relax in."_

_Now that I was looking, I could see faint smoke rising from behind it. It must be steam. At this point, I was completely excited about the trip. But all good things must come to an end. First, the twins began chasing Tamaki senpai around with a bug they found laying near the house. They chased him all the way down to the lake where Tamaki senpai jumped in to get away. Worried, we all ran down to see if he was alright._

_"That's the final straw! Send the twins back! They're ruining our family vacation!" Tamaki senpai screamed as he emerged from the cold looking water. He shivered as he walked back onto the pebble shore, both twins at his sides trying to apologize. By the time we got back up to the house, it turned into a full blown arguement between the twins about who's idea it was to chase him with a bug. Tamaki was soaking wet and shivering while Honey senpai took pictures of everything in sight. Mori just stood beside Honey senpai as if nothing could possibly phase him._

_But that wasn't the worst part. Kyoya now stood in front of the door, as if he couldn't possibly comprehend what to do next. He turned slowly around, his eyes wide. "I left the key to the cabin in my luggage."_

_END FLASHBACK_

And now you see how we're at this point. It's been half an hour and the sun is so high up that we're all sweating as we sit on the porch, waiting for the guy who said he'd bring the luggage in a 'few minutes'. Tamaki's now almost dry from the sun but still freezing, the twins are still fighting and if Honey senpai takes another picture of me with the camera set on flash again, I'll break it into pieces, set fire to them and do a rain dance around the ashes.

I was so wrapped up in my own bad mood that I didn't even notice the clear frustration coming from Kyoya. He kept looking over his shoulder at the front door every few minutes. The delicate rice paper door was guarded by a thick wooden gate door, otherwise there wouldn't have been any use for a key. Standing up swiftly, he stomped towards the door and wrapped both of his hands around the wooden gate. Taking a deep breath, his arms flexed and he threw all his weight to the side. With a loud snap, the gate went sliding open.

His little scene had silenced the whole group. Even I was a little amazed at his lapse in control. His head darted in our direction, his eyes livid. He reached over and slid open the rice paper door. "In." He commanded and we all listened. When the shadow king tells you to do something with that look on his face, not even Tamaki senpai will question him. My former irritation was completely forgotten as I stepped inside. I hadn't seen something so traditional and beautifully built since I visited my grandmother when she was still alive. She used to live across Tokyo in a traditional house similar to this.

But even with the simplicity of this place, the Ootori fortune showed. Every piece here was antique. The tables, the scrolls on the walls, even the tatami mats looked different from the type of mats we use in our apartment. One wall had been painted to show a little village that was built along a hill, Japanese autumn maples painted on either side of it. Each door had a design of its own as well. Although it looked as if there was no way a cooling system could be installed in this place, I could tell there was one by how cool it was in here. **(A/N: I have a picture of part of the cabin on my profile page. Look if you'd like :D I'll also have a picture the hotsprings behind the bath house.)**

Kyoya had calmed down by now and was back in control. "Let me show you to your rooms. The door to your right over there leads to the tearoom." Motioning for us to follow, he opened a set of sliding doors with tigers painted on them and took a left turn through the hallway beyond. He stopped for a second to point at a few doors. "That door leads to the kitchen, that door is another door to the tearoom and that door leads to a half bathroom. The bathrooms here have modern plumbing so don't worry."

We all walked up the narrow stairway to the second floor where there were five sets of sliding doors. He led the twins to the first room at the top of the stairway. It was traditional in every way except for the beds that were still oriental but from a later time period than the rest of the furniture. He then gave the room next to them to Honey senpai and Mori senpai which looked the same as the twin's room. He gave the room in the very middle to Tamaki senpai. It was the biggest room out of all with its own balcony. The bed in the middle had to be a kind sized bed with a soft looking white comforter.

As soon as they were all in their rooms, he led me to mine. Opening it, he motioned for me to step inside. My eyes bugged out as I did. It was different from the other rooms. Instead of being completely traditional and plain, the bed in the middle had a pink comforter with a cherry blossom design on it. One entire wall was painted to look like an orchard of blossom trees. A dresser was up against the wall across from the main door and a decorative pink rug was on the floor in front of the bed. "I had this room specifically designed to accomodate you." He told me as he walked in and stood behind me.

"Thank you." I blushed, eyeing the two doors against the left wall. Opening one, I saw a small, modern half bathroom. Opening the other, I saw another bedroom. "What's this?"

"That's my room. The smaller bedrooms connect with eachother. The twin's bedroom connects to Honey and Mori's bedroom and ours connect together as well. Tamaki has the largest of the rooms and it doesn't connect to the others."

"Ah..." I closed the door that connected ours, feeling awkward. My room connects to my boyfriend's room. Nothing but a thin rice paper door dividing us from one another. It was a bit awkward.

"Let me go call the pilot to see what's taking our luggage so long to arrive. After that, would you mind helping me prepare lunch? My father was kind enough to give us use of the cabin but he wouldn't permit me to bring a chef or even a maid to help us out." He said this with masked irritation in his voice.

Before he could walk away, I grabbed the hem of his short sleeved, black, button up shirt to stop him. He stopped walking and turned slightly to me, the irritation still in his eyes. "Is everything alright between you and your father?"

His eyes darted back to the hallway. We listened in silence to the noisy chatter of everyone. Tamaki senpai had obviously went to join the twins in their room because I heard him yell "And if you ever try to throw a bug on me again, I'll kill you both!"

Kyoya stepped back into my room with me and closed the door. He looked troubled as we stood there in silence. After a minute, he spoke. "Things are happening Haruhi. I'm feeling more and more unsafe in my own home."

"I don't understand..."

"My second eldest brother. He met a woman and he's been having an affair with her. His wife isn't aware but my father knew because he's been bringing her to our estate to be with her. The first time she came, my father assumed it was a fling and dropped it. The second time, he told him to stop seeing her. For a few months, he did stop brining her around the estate but last week, he showed up and stomped into my father's office and told him he'd met the love of his life and that he was going to divorce his wife and marry this girl."

"That's very sad... that he'd just leave his wife..."

"It's also unacceptable. The women both of my brothers married were hand selected by my father. Divorce is unheard of in the Ootori family. When my brother made that big announcment to my father, he was found beaten half to death in his own home a couple days later. Then a maid who had been dusting near the door to the room I showed you that no one is allowed to enter into was found dead in the maid's quarters. I had passed by her while she cleaned, looking for my mother. It seemed too convenient to me when she was found dead..."

"That's scary..." I mumbled, walking forward and hugging him in an attempt to relax him. His frustration was now replaced with minor fear. "Maybe...you should move out of your father's estate for a while until things calm down."

"I suppose I could. I could bribe the maids into telling me what is going on at home while I'm gone. The problem is finding somewhere to stay that my father wouldn't expect..."

I thought for a few seconds, really thinking it through before I voiced it. "Well the way I see it, you have two options."

"And those are?" He asked, sounding curious.

"You could either stay with my father and me, making a pallet in the living room every night or... you could rent your own apartment there. With your type of connections, I'm positive you could get a place there."

"But it's so close to the schoool. My father would guess."

"I don't think he would. It's not actually part of the rich housing people use who attend that school. To get to my apartment complex, you turn and walk partway down a poorer neighborhood. He'd never even consider that you would resort to staying in such a modest little place."

When I pulled away, Kyoya had that calculating look on his face. He thought it through for a long time before nodding. "Very well. When we return from our vacation, I'll call the apartment complex you live at. I'll return to the estate and pack and... I suppose I could leave while my father is busy in his office."

"He still might see you though... Maybe you should do it the way I would if I were trying to sneak off." He raised an eyebrow at my words, waiting for what I was about to say. "Go down to the first floor late at night and sneak out through one of the smaller windows."

"Sneak out of a window?" He said, as if he couldn't even comprehend why someone would do such a thing.

"Yes. Open it, throw all your luggage out of it then climb out after it."

He frowned but didn't look totally against it. "I'll consider it. For now, we need to go downstairs to see if my father listened and sent someone ahead to stock the fridge."

Nodding, I toook his outstretched hand and let him lead me downstairs to the kitchen.


	16. Are you Nervous?

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE LAST CHAPTER :)**

**IT'S TAKEN ME SO LONG TO WRITE BECAUSE I WAS ON VACATION.**

**!WARNING! - THIS CHAPTER IS STILL TEEN RATED BUT IT NOW REALLY DESERVES THE RATING. NOTHING TOO BAD. KYOYA AND HARUHI PLAY A ROUND OF 'NERVOUS'. IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE RULES, LOOK IT UP. I SUCK AT EXPLAINING. LOL.**

Haruhi's POV:

It turns out that Kyoya's father didn't bother to have anyone sent ahead. Kyoya would have done it himself but his father has been cracking down on what he is and isn't permitted to do lately. Before leaving to buy groceries, we ran into Honey senpai and Mori senpai. They said they wanted to take a walk by the lake so we escorted them back to the main door. We considered telling Tamaki senpai and the twins that we were going to walk to the town nearby but they would want to go with us so we 'forgot' to mention it.

As soon as we exited the house, he went to the cobblestone road that led away from the house. "It's about a fifteen minute's walk, I hope you don't mind. I'm sure I can manage to get a car to bring us back since we'll have too many groceries to carry."

"That's alright." I smiled, happy to be able to relax without any of the other hosts for once. Kyoya laced his fingers with mine as we exited the gate and turned down the road that led to the village. We stopped once during the trip to put some of the nearby lake's cold water on our still sweaty faces. After my face was clean, I took a handful of water and poured it on my head, soaking my short hair. Kyoya gave me a funny look so I took another handful and threw it at his hair. He tried to duck out of the way but he ended up stumbling back until he was laying flat on his back on the mossy colored grass.

Laughing, I crawled over to him and helped him sit up. He looked like he was holding back a smile the way the corners of his mouth twitched. After a second of sitting by the lake, he said, "You know what? I've noticed something about you Haruhi. Lately, you've been a lot more accepting of all this travel and overspending."

"What do you mean?"

"When we first met, you were the first to complain, saying how unnecessary it all was. Now you just go along with it and enjoy yourself."

"That's because I figured out a while back that there's nothing I could say that would stop you guys from spending an arm and a leg on things." As I spoke, I watched a duck land on the lake a few feet away.

"So do you still think I'm a rich bastard?" He asked me, obvious humor in his voice. Looking over at him, I saw a smirk beginning to form.

"Sometimes." I told him, sticking out my tongue and standing up. "If we don't hurry and get groceries, Tamaki senpai and the twins might resort to eating eachother."

Helping him up, we headed back for the road and started walking again. When we made it to the town's edge, I saw that it was a very small town. The majority of it all was houses with a few businesses here and there. "You know Kyoya, when you first told me there was a town here, I was a bit suprised. I figured that your family's vacation house had been built here for complete privacy."

"We do get complete privacy. The gate at the front of the property can be locked and the house is so far back, you can barely see it from the main road. We're far enough back that we don't here passing traffic if there ever is any and we're never bugged by anyone from the town."

While he spoke, I spotted a grocery store and drug him over to it. Once inside, I grabbed a shopping cart and got into the normal routine of things. Housekeeping, cooking and shopping. The three things I was best at. "What kind of food are you thinking of getting?" I asked him as I reached into a cooler and grabbed a carton of milk.

"Get a wide range of things. I'm not accustomed to shopping. Get whatever you'd like and I'll pay for it."

I considered argueing but I knew that I didn't have the money to buy groceries for six teenage boys and myself. I ended up getting eggs, milk, bread, a few different desserts and the ingredients to make several different dishes. The total ammount at the checkout came to ¥10,000 (yen). By the time we exited the grocery store, I was pretty sure we'd be walking back. At some point during the shopping, Kyoya must've made a call because a shiny black care was waiting for us right outside. I raised an eyebrow but didn't ask how he managed it.

The drive back to the vacation house took only a few minutes. When we got back with the groceries, everyone was waiting in the front room. "There you two are! What did you buy?" Tamaki senpai yelled, taking the grocery bags from my hands and bringing them into the kitchen. After unloading it all and putting it in either the fridge or the cabinets, I told everyone to get out of the kitchen so I could cook. If I had to deal with their hovering for the rest of this trip, I wanted the kitchen to myself while I cooked.

After a little thought, I decided to make homemade ramen. If I used a box of the premade noodles, I could spend twenty minutes putting together a broth for it and get together some toppings. I also made some curry rice as a side. Thirty minutes later, I had finished making the food and brought it out to everyone. They were all sitting around the large floor table in the middle of the front room. Everyone dug right into the food. As I was getting my own helping, I heard someone sniff. Looking up, I saw that it was Honey senpai.

"No dessert?" He asked with watery eyes.

I sighed. "I bought a few premade cakes. I'll bring one out after we eat. You'll need to cut back on this trip Honey senpai. I can't make a trip into town everyday."

Honey senpai's watery eyes burst like a dam. He began to cry uncontrollably and I almost felt bad. Almost. His sweets consumption was ridiculous. Kyoya gave me a simpathetic yet loaded look that gave me the feeling I really would be expected to go into town again today until Mori senpai spoke.

"Mitsukuni. I'll walk you to the store tomorrow if we end up eating all the cake tonight." Mori senpai suddenly said, silencing the little blonde's cries.

"Thank you Takashi!" He cried dramatically, jumping on Mori senpai. I rolled my eyes. Sometimes I wonder if the host club members are losing their grip on reality. Even if the guests aren't here, the guys still act like they do during club meetings.

As I was taking my second helping of noodles, I noticed that Tamaki senpai wasn't really eating his food. He stirred or pushed it around with his chopsticks, never taking a bite. He looked in my direction but I could tell he wasn't really seeing whatever was in front of him. His amethyst eyes told me his thoughts were a million miles away. After lunch, dessert was brought out and whatever was on Tamaki senpai's mind seemed to fade as he finally joined the conversation. It was a discussion the twins were trying to have with Tamaki senpai that was quickly turning into a fight.

"Well I think so many people have figured it out by now that we should just put it into the open. It would boost the club's profits like nobody's business! What's more desirable than a couple of good looking, unobtainable men." Hikaru said as if it should be the most obvious thing in the world.

"I am not having my Haruhi make a public announcement that she's gay!" Tamaki senpai fought back.

"It's not like it's true! She's a girl after all. The fact that Kyoya senpai and Haruhi are dating is spreading like wildfire." Kaoru said, adding to his brother's arguement. "The way I see it, we have two choices. Either we make this announcement or we tell everyone she's a girl. If we tell everyone she's a girl..."

"...Then Haruhi will have to quit the host club forever." Hikaru finished, causing Tamaki senpai to gasp and pale.

After a long silence, the blonde 'king' finally nodded, his eyes to the floor. "Alright. Public announcement. Haruhi will tell everyone at the next meeting that Kyoya and her are dating. Kyoya, you better be standing right next to her. I don't want my Haruhi to have to be telling everyone this all by herself."

"Why at the next club meeting? Wouldn't it be better if we made it a game?" The twins asked.

"A game? This is Haruhi's reputation we're talking about! How dare you! Mommy, ask the bad twins to leave the table!" Tamaki senpai whined.

Kyoya held up a hand. After wiping his mouth with a napkin, he spoke. "I agree with the twins to an extent. Not everyone knows about Haruhi's relationship with me so we should spend the next few club meetings planting seeds. Everytime we talk to one of our guests, if we have the time, bring up the secret relationship and see if they knows anything. Start rumors of sightings, even if some aren't completely true. When I give the signal, we'll make the announcement."

Everyone nodded and said their approval. The way I saw it, my opinion didn't matter so I just sat back and decided to agree with whatever everyone else was saying. I might have been imagining it but... I could've sworn I saw Tamaki senpai glare at Kyoya. After we ate our dessert, we all helped wash and put away the dishes and went upstairs to get ready to go to the bathhouse.

To say that using the bathhouse here was awkward would be an incredible understatement. When I emerged from my room in the pink tankini that my dad had packed behind my back, I noticed that everybody had gone ahead of me. The whole house was dead silent as I walked down the stairs with my little bath pail in hand. Before exiting the house, I wrapped my towel tightly around me. It took me a few minutes, but I finally made my way to the bathhouse. When I slid open the door, I saw the whole gang already soaking in the murky green water. Around the tub was a wooden walkway. There was a door at the far end of the room that had been opened. Steam slowly drifted in through it so thickly that I could barely see the hotsprings behind it.

Honey senpai and Mori senpai were at the far end of the big tub, soaking while the twins sat on the wooden walkway with wet towels around their waists, washing eachother's hair. Tamaki senpai and Kyoya senpai sat in the water about two feet from eachother. Not a big distance but enough for me to know that there was awkward tention between them. I couldn't help but feel like I was to blame. I waved shly as both Tamaki senpai and Kyoya looked up at me, walking around to slide into the water between them. The water was so warm, I was instantly relaxed. Sliding under, I wet my hair.

When I emerged, everyone was looking at me with a weird mixture of looks. Kyoya and Tamaki senpai were blushing, Mori senpai and Honey senpai had sunk much deeper into the water and the twins were desperately holding back hysterical laughter. I blinked, completely lost. "What's so funny? Did I miss some joke?"

The twins didn't bother hiding their laughter anymore. They were laughing so hard, they could barely get the air to explain what was funny. "Haruhi this is the men's bath! You're bath is next door!"

Blushing wildly, I tried to sink into the water to hide but Kyoya caught my arm and lifted me up. "Have you ever been to a public bathhouse Haruhi?" He asked me.

I nodded. "I used a public bath a couple times when I'd visit my grandmother. Her house didn't have a bath."

"So you know that when you visit a bathhouse, you don't wear anything. It's been that way since the beginning of the use of bathhouses. As time went on, they've created seperate units for men and women because of how uncomfortable one can feel when someone of the opposite sex sees them naked."

I nodded, still not sure what he was implying. "Okay. Why the history of bathhouses lesson?"

Kyoya's face didn't budge but his eyes were beginning to show obvious humor now. "Haruhi... everyone here is naked except for you. We didn't expect you to enter the men's bath."

Now I had a reason to blush. "I'm so sorry!" I yelled trying to get out but I ended up slipping back into the water. When I emerged from the water, everyone was laughing.

"Don't worry Haru chan." Honey senpai said. "The water has bath salts in it that makes it too murky to see. Nobody's kicking you out."

I felt Kyoya grab my arm, pulling me back beside him. I blushed when I felt mis leg brush against mine. This is exactly what I meant by awkward. Kyoya looked down at me, his glasses off. "But we'll either need to get swimming trunks or wait until the sun sets to get in the hotsprings behind the bathhouse since the water can be partially seen through."

Still blushing, I reached behind me and grabbed my shampoo. Grabbing my little wooden pail, I filled it with water and climbed up to sit on the wooden walkway. As I washed my hair, I tried to block out the mental images I was getting. Not about any of the other hosts but just of one in particular. Said host was looking at me intensely as I rinsed out my hair. When it was clean, I used a wooden comb to get all the knots out.

"How does water get into this bath?" I asked, not seeing any way for the tub to feel.

"The hotspring. We have a direct line between the two so we can fill the tub through a nozzle on the side of it. We've also got a three part filtering system where we can add in the bath salts so it's already in the water when it fills." Kyoya told me. As soon as I was back in the water, Kyoya took my hand, lacing our fingers.

I would've been content with just sitting there, talking with Kyoya but Tamaki senpai was so upset about something, I could practically feel the uneasiness in the air. I resolved to ask Kyoya about it as soon as we had a moment alone. As soon as we were all ready to get out, I left first, giving the boys a chance to get out and wrap their towels around themselves. When we got back to the house, we all went to our rooms to get dressed. As I was rummaging through my suitcase, I saw a note from my father burried under the first layer of clothes.

_Haruhi!_

_I packed you a new kimono to wear. Have lots of fun sweety. _

_Daddy loves you._

Digging a bit further, I found the new kimono. It was white with red flowers at the hems of the kimono and the sleeves. He also had packed a pretied red obi and an underobe for me. Putting it all on, I left my room and went downstairs to join the boys. They were all sitting around the table again while Kyoya rummaged through a closet. Even they had put on after bath kimonos. "Haruhi! You look so pretty!' Tamaki senpai yelled running to hug me. Whatever was on his mind earlier was no longer showing on his face.

"Tamaki senpai! Let go!" I gasped, trying to get out of his grip. Both because I couldn't breathe and also because he was holding me way too posessively. Grabbing his hands, I pushed them off my waist and stepped back, nearly tripping on the hem of my kimono. Luckily for me, Kyoya had emerged from the closet he had been looking in and was there in time to catch me.

"Try not to crush her Tamaki. I've got something to show you all." Kyoya said, standing me upright and taking me with him as he walked to the wall nearest to the front door where there was a sliding wall that probably led to a cabinet. Kyoya slid it back, showing a full entertainment system. "I've partially lied about the tradition of this place. It has outlets and a television. I've pulled out all of the movie boxes, why don't you all go agree on one."

After a bit of searching, we all agreed on watching Cyborg Girl. I'm not sure if everyone really wanted to see it though. The second I said it looked interesting, it was ripped from my hands and popped into the dvd player. As Tamaki senpai adjusted the volume, Kyoya closed all the doors before sliding thicker screens in front of the front door and windows. As soon as the last one was slid closed, the room was plunged into almost complete darkness. I listened to Kyoya's footsteps as he neared me, unable to see him. A second later, the previews began and lit the room a bit, giving him enough light to find me and take a seat beside me.

Just before the movie began, the screen darkened. In that short time, I felt Kyoya wrap his arms around my waist, pulling me into his lap, his legs on either side of me. I leaned back against his chest, blushing and content. Even after the screen brightened enough for me to see everyone's silhouettes, nobody seemed to notice. Not even Tamaki senpai. He must like this movie based on the way he was staring at the screen.

I had just started to get into the movie myself when I felt Kyoya's mouth on the back on my neck. Pressing my lips together to hold back my sound of suprise, I held very still. His lips slid to the side of my neck, opening enough to take some of my skin into his mouth. I had to bite the sleeve of my kimono to keep from making a sound. I felt him shake with silent laughter as he pulled away. He was enjoying his little game. Well, two can play at this game. Leaning to the side so that my face was in the side of his neck, I bit onto a little piece of flesh.

I expected him to get embarassed or something but instead he jumped and mumbled "Ow."

Blushing, I apologized as quietly as possible before trying again, this time softer. His hand, that had been resting on my side, shook as it slid a few inches lower to my hip. Smirking, I felt an easy victory. He seems more sensitive on the neck than even me. Being who he is, I should have expected for him to have some sort of ace up his sleeve. Leaning down so his lips were at my ear, he spoke seductively. "Let's play a game. It's called 'nervous'. If you get nervous, squeeze my hand. We'll take turns." Lacing one hand with one of mind, he wrapped the other around my waist.

I heard him faintly whisper, asking me if I was ready. I leaned back against him and nodded, afraid that speaking would alert the rest of the room to the most inappropriate game I've ever played. The hand that had been resting on my waist dipped down enough to reach under my obi so he run his fingers in a circle around my belly button. It tickled but it didn't make me nervous. When I didn't react, he lifted his hand from the obi and laid it on my leg right above my knee. With a feather light touch, he moved his hand up my thigh a few inches. Feeling uncomfortable, I moved my leg a little, careful not to put any presser on the hand that was still holding mine.

When he didn't move, I guessed that it was my turn. Embarassed but wanting to try, I put my hand on his thigh and gave it a squeeze. He must've thought it was funny because he chuckled. Conveniently, so did everyone else at something in the movie. "Try again." He whispered, his voice humorous and a tad condecending.

I glared but I knew he couldn't see in this light. Ready to fight dirty, I tug my nails into his thighs, moving up a few inches. The sound he made was priceless. It was a cross between a strangled gasp and a cough. Unfortunately, he didn't squeeze my hand. I sighed. Oh boy. His turn. Grabbing the shoulder of my kimono, he slid it down my arm a bit, lunging in and taking a piece of skin in his mouth. He began to suck the skin, his breath hot on my shoulder. Unable to control my reaction, I jerked back and squeezed his hand so tight, I thought I'd break his fingers. Not because I was nervous but because I liked the feeling.

After a second, Kyoya pulled back and readjusted my kimono. Before I could even organize my thoughts, he leaned down and kissed my neck lightly. "I win."

Sighing, I whispered "Damn rich jerk..."


	17. Kyoya's Plan

**I WAS A BIT RELUCTANT TO POST THE LAST CHAPTER BECAUSE OF KYOYA AND HARUHI'S LITTLE GAME BUT I GOT A FEW REVIEWS ALREADY SAYING THAT THEY REALLY LIKE HOW THE STORY IS GOING. **

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.**

Haruhi's POV:

The moon was shining brightly in the sky as I soaked in the hot springs behind the bath house. The other hosts were all around me, Kyoya to my left and Tamaki senpai to my right. The twins were at a deeper part of the hot springs, splashing eachother while Mori sat lazily across from me, watching over Honey senpai as he swam like it was a pool. I felt awkward, not wearing anything, but all the other hosts didn't seem to be bothered since the only lighting was the moon and a few bamboo torches. It was sort of tradition. In a bath house or a hotsprings, if a man and woman sit together while naked, it was considered acceptable. Not so much anymore but still.

I looked up at Kyoya. His eyes were closed, as if he were asleep. I spotted his glasses sitting on a rock behind him. Reaching over, I picked them up and put them on. I squished my eyes shut. Even if I took my contacts out so that I'd need glasses, it would sitll be too blury. It was starting to give me a headache. When I opened my eyes again, I could barely make out Kyoya's face. He was looking my way, that much I could tell. I heard him chuckle as he took the glasses from me.

"You'll hurt your eyes that way." He told me, folding them and putting them back on the rock behind him. I noticed then, the faraway look in Kyoya's eyes. He was thinking very intensely on something. I wanted to ask what was on his mind but I figured that waiting until we were alone would be best.

I was so relaxed by the hot water that I began to slide down into the water. Just as my head went under water, I felt someone grab my thigh. I tried to hold back a gasp as I resurfaced. Taking in a deep breath of the steamy air, I glared at Kyoya who was looking at me with humorous eyes. His lips twitched as he held back a smile. "Are you trying to get me to swallow water?" I asked, my teeth clentched.

"Not at all." He told me as he grabbed onto my arm and pulled me towards him until we were sitting right beside one another. Instinctively, I leaned over and rested my head on his shoulder. I thought I saw a strange look flit across Tamaki senpai's face when I caught sight of him but it was gone as soon as I looked directly at him.

"You two have gotten closer." Hikaru said to me as he and Kaoru wore matching grins. I blushed and tried to slide back into the water but Kyoya caught hold of me and kept my head above the water.

"Let your hair dry. It's cold out here and having wet hair will make you sick." He told me as he reached for a small towl and placed it on my head and around my shoulders.

It was close to midnight when we all finally got to bed. I tried to sleep but for some reason I couldn't. Turning this way and that, I sighed and covered my head with my pillow. "Yūwaku no megami." I heard someone whisper to me and I jumped. Pulling the pillow from my head, I saw that Kyoya had opened the door dividing our rooms and was leaning on the door frame. **(A/N: Once again, the name Kyoya just called Haruhi means 'goddess of seduction'. I consider it almost a joke considering Haruhi couldn't seduce someone if she tried since she's so innocent. lol)**

"Kyoya?" I whispered, eyeing the thin wall between Tamaki's room and my own. If I were too loud, he would hear.

Holding a finger to his lips, he walked towards me slowly. He stopped at the foot of the bed before sitting there with his waist turned so he could still face me. "Is it alright if we talk for a while? I have something I want to discuss."

I nodded and pushed away my covers so I could crawl across the bed and sit beside him. As I took my seat, he put an arm around my waist. He didn't speak at first. He stared at the wall in front of us, gathering his thoughts maybe. "Yes?" I asked when he hadn't spoken for several minutes.

"Tamaki isn't taking this well." He told me softly.

I sighed. "I know... We need to give him more time though." For some reason, I had a feeling that that wasn't what he was really wanting to say. If it were just about Tamaki senpai, he would've just said so right away. "But... there's something else on your mind isn't there? Honestly Kyoya, I've never seen you this speechless. Not since I've met you."

He looked at me from the corner of his eye. "I've recieved a call from my sister. She returned to the estate with her husband to visit my father and she overheard something. First, conversation between my father and a maid then a conversation between my father and Mr. Hachiro."

"Mr. Hachiro?" 

"My father's lawyer and right hand man. If there's any sort of major decision being made in my family, Mr. Hachiro is always present when it happens."

"What were those conversations about?"

"My father had a maid taken to his office. He accused her of spying on him when he entered the gold doored room. She was saying over and over that she didn't but he refused to believe her. She was afraid that she would die like the other maid no doubt so she told my father that in exchange for secret information, she requested the right to resign and have no further affiliation with my family. My father consented."

"What did she say?"

"That the day you had dinner with my family, she saw myself and you talking right in front of the gold door. She heard me tell you what I thought was in the room. As soon as the maid left, my sister heard my father call Mr. Hachiro. When he arrived, they sat down in my father's office and started talking of something called 'The Legacy Successor'. I don't know what exactly that is but I do know that my sister told me that on the day I return from Niigata, both myself and my brother that cheated on his wife will be sent somewhere and all of the family's wealth will be given to my eldest brother."

"Why?" I asked, my voice giving way to my panic.

"I don't know." He admitted, his expression gentle. "Don't worry. I'm sorry to frighten you. I needed to talk with someone about it and I can't trust Tamaki."

I was taken aback by his statement. "What has Tamaki done to anger you?"

"He's done nothing intentionally. But he told me reciently that his father has been trying to get information from him about me. Neither of us know why but I do know that my father and his father are both friends and business partners. If the right sort of information falls into that idiot's hands, his father will find out and tell mine."

"What sort of information?" I frowned.

"Like where I'll be staying to hide from my family. Right now, I'm really considering just using the emergency money I have in a account that's not connected in any way to my family. Use it to buy clothes and what not and forget about returning at all. It's too risky. If what my sister heard is true, my returning could very well be a death wish."

I winced at the thought of anything happening to Kyoya. The hosts were like family to me... and I quite possibly loved Kyoya. Of course I'd never admit either to anyone. Not even Kyoya. He must've seen some emotion on my face that he didn't like because he sighed, looking almost frustrated. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a hug. Burrying his face in my neck, he pulled me tighter against him.

"I know you're strong enough to handle news like this Haruhi. Everything will be fine. I... have a plan."

"A plan? What is it?" I mumbled, not able to speak properly with my mouth pressed against his shoulder.

"I can't tell you. I'm sorry. If it fails, I don't want you to have any knowledge of it."

"Why?" I damanded, my voice raised almost too high.

"Because you might be questioned and you're a terrible liar." I could hear the smirk in his voice but his carefree demeanor didn't reasure me.

"Kyoya, please tell me. If it fails, I can lie for you. I'm not a bad liar if I know it will keep someone I care about safe."

He sighed. "Don't ask me for now. Please. I promise I'll tell you soon."

"How soon?"

"...I'm going to evacuate the vacation house tomorrow night. I'll personally return everyone home, including you, before asking about a vacancy in your apartment complex. If there are no vacancies, I will see about another apartment in the area. Or even a house. If I pay in cash for everything and have a fake i.d. created, I'll be assured safety for a while."

"How long is a while in your book?"

"A week at the least, a month at the most." My father can turn over every rock in this city. I won't give him the chance to hunt me down."

"You can't just keep running from place to place." I told him, pulling away enough to see his face. He looked worn out.

"If my plan works, I won't need to. I'll just need to plan it around the first ball of the season. On the last day of my spring break, there will be a ball. All through spring, there will be balls every week. If I can find a way to sneak in, his guard will be down then. He tends to get very drunk at those affairs..."

"And while he's drunk you'll go through with your plan?"

"Exactly." 

"So what's the plan?"

"I'm not telling you."

I made a growling sound in the back of my throat. "Tell me right now. We swore no more secrets."

"Haruhi..."

"No Kyoya. You just said I was strong enough to handle these types of things." I stared him down, trying not to feel intimidated by him. When he saw that I wasn't backing down, he rolled his eyes.

"Do you enjoy being difficult?"

"I'm not being difficult Kyoya... just tell me so I don't have to worry that whatever you're doing is stupid... I... I don't want anything to happen to you. I know what it feels like to lose someone..."

I felt very guilty using the guilt method. He was hiding a pained expression. His eyes told me that much. After a moment, he closed his eyes and nodded. A minute later, he opened them and told me. "I'm going to poison my father."

**Xx Ooooooh! Drama! :D**


	18. Deja Vu

**SORRY THAT THE LAST CHAPTER WAS SO SHORT. I WAS MEANING TO MAKE IT LONGER BUT I SAW A CLIFFHANGER OPORTUNITY AND I SEIZED IT. :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.**

**THIS STORY IS TAKING A VERY BIG TURN FROM WHERE I HAD ORIGINALLY DIRECTED IT. I PUT THE OPTIONS 'DRAMAAAA' AND 'SMEX' ON A SCALE AND DECIDED TO POSTPONE THE SMEX FOR LATER. DON'T WORRY, IF I DO ADD ANY SEX, I'LL MAKE IT A SKIPABLE CHAPTER SO IF YOU SKIPPED OVER IT, THINGS WOULD STILL MAKE SENSE. WOULDN'T WANT TO OFFEND ANY OF THE INNOCENT READERS THAT LIKE THIS STORY BECAUSE IT ISN'T A LEMON.**

_"I'm going to poison my father."_

Haruhi's POV:

My eyes felt like they were about to pop from my head as they widened. I felt my jaw drop and my mouth make a little pop sound. I stared up into Kyoya's dark, serious eyes. Before I could stop it, I let out a quick, loud giggle. Covering my mouth, I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths before opening them. He looked concerned.

"Haruhi, are you alright?" He asked me, his expression telling me I looked like I had gone crazy.

Dropping my hand, my shaky smile instantly dropped. "You're joking." I determined.

He shook his head. "No Haruhi, I'm very serious. If I don't do this, more people will die. I will die. You might die..." His voice dropped to a whisper as he said the last part and I shivered.

I shook my head to clear it. "You're going to kill someone... Your own father..."

"Haruhi, look at me." When I didn't comply, he grabbed my face and held it between both hands, forcing me to look up. I stared back, frozen. "My father is not a good man. He's killed many people to silence them. He's not above killing his own children if he thinks they have knowledge that they shouldn't have... or have drifted from the path. My path was laid out before me at birth."

I tried to speak but he shook his head. Closing my mouth, I listened in horror to all he said.

"When I turned towards you, I walked off the path. My father can kill anyone he wants and he's powerful enough to cover his tracks. He could even kill Tamaki and all the other hosts if he thinks we've told them anything. He... He could even kill your father. I've seen him do so much worse..."

My vision began to cloud. It took me a second to realize I was crying. I barely made out his expression which turned to concern once again. He pulled me back into his arms and started rubbing my back. He murmured strings of apologies for being so blunt. When I had stopped shaking, he spoke again. "I'll sleep on the floor in your room and beat anyone who threatens you with a baseball bat if I have to."

"And what are you going to do about the others?"

He was silent for a while. I was about to ask him if he heard me but he interupted. "I'll create a rumor that someone is threatening the members of the host club. With the right connections, I can scare everyone into bumping up their security procedures without ever having my father or anyone else find out it was all a lie."

"Why can't we just tell them? We can call them all in right now and let them know."

"No more talking about this with anyone." His voice sounding very final. "I didn't even want to tell you. Promise me you'll keep it a secret. From everyone."

I sighed. "I promise."

He pulled back to look me in the eyes. He seemed satisfied with whatever he saw because he smiled that small smile that made me want to smile. "Get some sleep. I'll wake you up early and we'll take a walk. You probably want to see the rest of the property before we leave."

He leaned towards me and kissed me cheek. He began to pull away but my arms shot up and locked around his neck, refusing to let go. He chuckled softly. "What?"

I blinked. I didn't even know myself. It was almost like a reflex. "Uh..."

His eyes lit then, a smirk sliding into place. "Yūwaku no megami..." He whispered before leaning in and kissing me. My eyes closed as I leaned in, trying to get closer. My mind was plagued with images of harm befalling him or the host club or my father... Unable to help myself, I lifted up and latched onto Kyoya with my legs too. He made a noise of suprise but wrapped his arms around my waist to keep me in place.

Pulling away for a second, I glared. "If anything happens to you, I'll be pissed."

He chuckled. "You worry too much."

Before I could speak again, he crashed his lips back into mine. My eyes fluttered closed as I gripped his hair with one hand and wrapped the other tighter around the back of his neck. A few seconds later, I felt my back touch the bed. Kyoya pulled completely away and my arms dropped. I opened my eyes, pouting. When I noticed the position we were in, my eyes widened with suprise. Deja vu. Laying on a bed at night as Kyoya leaned over me, staring intensely.

"Well isn't this familar." He whispered, smiling slightly.

"Almost. You were shirtless last time." I tried to laugh it off but the truth was, I was nervous as heck. His stare made me blush.

His smile became a smirk as he leaned up and grabbed the hem of his shirt, lifting it over his head. Throwing it across the room, he resumed his position leaning over me. "Better."

I couldn't answer him. I couldn't even speak. There was an incredible difference between last time and this time. Last time, I had no interest in him. This time... "Come a little closer and I'll tell you."

Raising an eyebrow, he leaned down until he was in my reach. Grabbed his neck, I pulled with all my might. His arms buckled under him and he collapsed. Him falling on me nearly knocked the breath out of me but I was on a mission. Opening my mouth, I took the skin on his neck into my mouth and sucked, making a noticeable red mark. When I let go, he pulled back. His face was as red as a tomato. "That was uncalled for. What if someone sees it?"

"No, that was revenge for the hicky on my shoulder mr. 'are you nervous?'." To show my point, I pulled the sleeve of my pajama top down my shoulder a few inches. The mark I made was almost as dark as the mark he made.

"Alright, fair enough. We're even." He leaned down to kiss me quickly before backing up and climbing off the bed. "Now sleep."

I was tempted to ask him to stay with me but I could only imagine the looks on everyone's faces if they happened to wake up before us. I waited to crawl back under the covers until he had left the room. As the door slid closed and I was nestled under the covers, all the worry came rushing back. Maybe I should text my dad and see if he's working late again. I pulled out my phone and typed one up.

**To: Dad**

**From: Haruhi**

**Message:**

**Hey dad. How are you? Working late again?**

Clicking send, I waited. A few minutes later, his reply came.

**To: Me**

**From: Dad**

**Message:**

**Haruhi! How is m baby's vacation? And yes, **

**daddy is working late. I'll probably just stay the night at**

**the bar.**

Sighing in relief, I smiled. I doubt Mr. Ootori could find him if he were working at her trannie bar. And with so many witnesses, I assumed he'd be safe.

**To: Dad**

**From: Me**

**Message:**

**Vacation is fun but Kyoya's father is calling him back so we'll be cutting **

**it short. I'll be home late tomorrow night.**

**To: Me**

**From: Dad**

**Message:**

**Oh dear. :( I was planning on taking a little vacation of my own. My**

**friend Miku invited me to a spa getaway for a whole three days. Oh!**

**Maybe you could tag along! You'd love this spa!**

I cringed. A whole three days of spa treatments that my dad forces me into? No thanks.

**To: Dad**

**From: Me**

**Message:**

**Oh that's ok. :/ I'll stay home. I need to catch up**

**on my chores. And I've got a book report due**

**the day school starts back up.**

Both were lies. I had done all my chores and homework the evening before leaving for vacation. Kyoya had even stayed to help me do both before assisting me in cooking dinner for my dad. My dad finally responded after ten minutes. He must be busy with a customer.

**To: Me**

**From: Dad**

**Message:**

**Aww okay sweetie. I've got another customer coming and he**

**hates being ignored. Ta ta.**

I sat my phone on my nightstand and tried to get comfortable. If I was going to get up early with Kyoya (which was a miracle since he usually NEVER gets up early), I'd need all the sleep I could get. This drama with hia father must leave him unable to sleep... I then spotted Kyoya's tshirt which was still sitting on the floor against the wall. Getting up, I grabbed it and carefully opened the door.

Well he wasn't sleeping. He was sitting at a little desk in his room, typing away at his laptop. He had his back to me so I threw the tshirt. It landed on his head. He pulled it off and looked behind him. His expression told me I startled him. "Get some sleep."

"I will in a few minutes. I need to finish something." He turned back around and started typing again. I quietly tip-toed into the room and closed the door so he'd think I left. Five minutes later, he still hadn't got off the computer. Walking behind him, I grabbed his shoulders. I wish I had a camera then to capture the look on his face as he turned to stare at me.

"It's been a few minutes Kyoya." I reached past him and shut his laptop.

"Fine." He stood up and kissed me cheek. I didn't leave until he had sat on his bed. When I was back in mine, I went right to sleep.

The next thing I knew, a bright light was shining in my face. As my vision adjusted, I realized someone had opened my window and the sun was shining into the room. I was about to cover my head and go back to sleep until I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. Gasping, I looked towards the door. Tamaki senpai was peaking into the room, his expression sheepish.

"I opened the window for you. Your face was flushed so I figured you were hot."

"Thank you." I smiled genuinely, glad that were were on speaking terms again. When he didn't move, I figured there was something on his mind. "So what's up?"

"Nothing." He said too quickly for it to be true. He had that puppy dog look in place. The one he usually got when he thought I was mad at him or was nervous. And he had to know I wasn't mad so was he nervous?

"You sure? You can tell me you know." I told him as I sat completely up.

He sighed and nodded his head. "I know I can. I was actually wondering if you wanted to take a walk by the lake."

"I'd love to Tamaki senpai but I promised Kyoya last night that I'd tour the rest of the property with him this morning."

"He's still sleeping. It's already ten. We drew straws to see who'd wake him up and when I tried to, he threw a chair at me." His eyes got all watery as he sniffled dramatically. I rolled my eyes. Figures.

"Alright. Go get dressed and meet me out front in fifteen minutes. We'll take a walk." I told him, pointing to his purple pajamas with the little yellow king crown pattern.

He smiled like a kid on his birthday. "Thank you!"

He ran off then and I reluctantly crawled out of bed. Shutting my room door, I checked for messages on my phone then got dressed in a red flowy sweater dress and black leggings that my dad packed for me. Sliding on some black flats, I went to brush my teeth and brush my almost spikey looking hair. When i was ready, I put my phone into a little pocket on the side of the dress and went to find Tamaki senpai.

I found him trying to climb a large blossom tree near the house. He ended up stumbling and hit his butt on a branch before plopping a few feet to the ground. The pout on his face told me that his pride was the only thing hurt. "Be careful silly. We don't want to make a pit stop at the nearest Niigata hospital."

"Pit stop?" He looked confused and I remembered that Kyoya had yet to wake up and tell them about us leaving tonight.

"Oh... uh nothing." I said, waving my hands. He stood up and frowned. He'd probably press the issue later but for now, he was looking at the lake.

"So should we walk that way?" He asked and started to walk before I even responded. I followed behind him, taking a deep breath of the mountain air. I hope Kyoya wakes up soon. He needs to feel how nice it is out here. When we had made it to the lake, Tamaki senpai swerved left so we'd walk along the side nearest to the cobblestone road.

After a minute of slow walking, he stopped walking and stared at at the lake. I stopped with him but was distracted with the blossoms above us. Jumping up, I grabbed ahold of one and pulled it off the tree brach. "It's beautiful out here. I wish we could stay here longer." He said, the breeze making his hair blow back.

"Yeah. Me too." I tried to enjoy the quietness of the morning but I just couldn't. I had an uneasy feeling that I couldn't explain. Whether it was because I was here with Tamaki senpai or because Kyoya wasn't with me, I wasn't sure.

Tamaki senpai was quiet for a long time. I'd assume he was just lost in the view of the lake and the mountains but the way his shoulders hunched told me something was bothering him. Finally, he turned around and faced me. "I kind of had a reason for bringing you out here."

"Yeah?" I asked, now feeling really uncomfortable.

He didn't speak for a minute. His normally childlike expression was gone. The serious eyed look he gave me made him look his age for once. "Haruhi... I-" He stopped for a moment, his eyes dropping. He took several deep breathes before looking back up, his expression showing his determination. "I want you to know that I'm happy for you and Kyoya but I...also want you to know that you have options. If things don't work out with Kyoya I'm...here."

Well that answers why I had a bad feeling. I tried to think of the words that would explain where I stood without hurting Tamaki senpai's feelings. "Senpai-"

"You can call me Tamaki if you want." He interupted and I tried not to lose patience. He looked so hopeful.

"Tamaki senpai-"

"Just Tamaki." The hopeful look intensified.

"Just listen okay?" I snapped and felt bad right away. There was now a strain on his expression. "I'm sorry Tamaki senpai but I don't want any other options... I don't want you to get the impression that there's ever going to be a chance between us so I need to say now that I love Kyoya and that's not going to change."

I still wasn't sure if I really loved Kyoya so I'd never say that to Kyoya himself until I really know. I felt bad for the partial lie, especially when I saw tears begin to brim in Tamaki senpai's eyes. "Yeah I get it." He shrugged, looking bitter. "Just be careful. Things won't last between you two unless he's willing to fight for you."

Offended by his prediction, I glared. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"His family Haruhi!" He snapped, his voiced raised. "He's an Ootori and Ootoris don't marry commoners!"

"Damn it Tamaki! Stop saying commoners like I am one. I'm middle class! The host club is not royalty and it most certainly isn't a family!"

"You don't get what I'm trying to say at all! I would give up all ties with my family for you but Kyoya won't! As soon as his family starts talking about marriage, he'll have to break up with you. Like when I nearly married Eclaire... Haruhi... He'll hurt you Haruhi..."

I shook my head, trying to fight back the tears. "Shut up Tamaki... Stop being cruel..."

"What? No more senpai?" I could hear the hope return to his voice.

"No... No more Tamaki either... never speak to me again." I whispered. And then I ran.


	19. Less Tention

**I'M SORRY FOR THE SUDDEN DRIFT BETWEEN TAMAKI AND HARUHI AS FRIENDS. :( I SWEAR IT WON'T LAST. THINGS WILL BE ALL PATCHED UP BY THE END OF MY STORY WHICH I WILL TRY TO END WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE CHAPTERS. (HEHE, SAID THAT 5 CHAPTERS AGO.)**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.**

**ENJOY!**

**CHAPTER SONG: SINGER: HOPE; SONG: 'WHO AM I TO SAY?' -**

**THIS SONG IS VERY SAD AND IT GETS RIGHT TO THE HEART OF WHAT HARUHI WANTS TO THINK AND BELIEVE BUT IS AFRAID TO. **

Haruhi's POV:

When an animal is cornered by another, more dangerous animal, their first instinct is to either fight or run away. Mine had been both. After taking the one thing from Tamaki that would hurt him most, I ran from him. I'd always been good at only holding onto one or two emotions at a time up to this point. Not anymore.

_Pain._

_Loss._

_Anger._

_Confussion._

_Fear._

_Vulnerability._

Fear felt the strongest now. I could already hear someone's footsteps behind me. I wished then with all my might that I was a better runner. The footsteps were far away but they were also heavy so they would reach me soon if I didn't sprout wings and fly away. And the liklihood of that happening was none at all.

"Haruhi, stop!"

And I did instinctively. It wasn't Tamaki. I didn't turn around. I couldn't yet. Every word I was told only a few minutes ago was burning in my mind._ 'Things won't last between you two unless he's willing to fight for you.' 'He's an Ootori and Ootoris don't marry commoners!' 'As soon as his family starts talking about marriage, he'll have to break up with you.' 'He'll hurt you Haruhi...'_

Before I could clear my mind at all, Kyoya had caught up to me. Running around me, he stopped a few feet away from me. He was trying to catch his breath. After a few moments of silence, only broken by the sound of Kyoya trying to regulate his breathing, he finally stood up straight. When he did, his careful eyes narrowed.

"What did he do to you?" He was angry and I flinched. His eyes widdened then, his stance becoming tense. He took a careful step towards me. "Don't run off again. I just..." He took another step. "...want to know..." Another step. "What happened." Another step and his arms shot out, wrapping around me and locking me into place.

I actually tried to run then by natural instinct but he kept a good grip on me. When I stopped trying, he let go of me with one hand and grabbed the hem of his shirt. Lifting it to my face, he started wiping off the tears that had spilled over. "When I came outside, you and Tamaki were talking, then you ran off. What did he say to you?"

I looked away from him, unwilling to answer. Even if I am angry at Tamaki and didn't ever want to speak to him again, I didn't wish him any harm. If I told Kyoya all what Tamaki said, there'd be a fight. I knew already who would win. "Please don't ask... Just know that I'm not friends with him anymore."

He looked very confused but I was determined to just forget everything and not tell a soul. He tried several more times to make me talk but I was firm. When it looked like he was about to give up and drop the matter, Tamaki came running for us, yelling the whole way. "Haruhi! I need to talk to you! I'm sorry! Can we forget all of this ever happened?"

That was my attention. Looking at Kyoya in desperation, I leaned against him. "Please don't let him near me..." I whispered. Without questioning my reasons, Kyoya lifted me up in his arms and walked right past Tamaki, towards the vacation house. Tamaki skidded to a stop and ran till he was walking beside us.

"Haruhi please. I explained things wrong. Will you please let me talk to you for a few minutes?" I pressed my face against Kyoya's shoulder, wishing Tamaki would give up and walk off. Kyoya picked up the pace, the next time Tamaki spoke, it sounded further away. "Are you both mad at me now? Kyoya, what did I do to you?"

Kyoya sighed. "I'll talk to you in a few minutes Tamaki. Haruhi is sick and needs some time to herself." That seemed to deter him because I didn't hear a single word from Tamaki for the rest of the walk back. I listened quietly the the footsteps of the two boys, feeling awkward in Kyoya's arms but not having the energy to walk myself.

I knew we were back at the house when the temperature went from cold to warm. Looking up, I saw the confused and almost frightened expressions of the other hosts. They all sensed that something was wrong no doubt. "What happened Kyoya? Is she hurt?" Hikaru asked.

Kyoya turned around to face the crowd of waiting faces. I looked at them too, feeling awkward. "Haruhi is sick. I'll be taking her up to her room in a minute to rest. We'll be leaving for Tokyo this evening alright? I've been summoned back by my father and Haruhi is beginning to get a fever."

My face was usually red for a while if I ran any sort of distance so I probably looked sick. Honey senpai walked up, the first to speak. "Haru chan? Do you want to take Usa chan with you? He always makes me feel better when I'm sick."

Before I could protest, Honey senpai tossed the pink bunny so it would land in my lap. "Thanks." I smiled akwardly, hugging the stuffed animal. Kyoya then walked through the doors that led to the stairs with me. Unfortunately, Tamaki followed.

"Please wait a second." Tamaki whispered when we were up the stairs. Kyoya continued to walk towards my room. Placing me in the bed, he gave me a small smile before walking right out of the room and shutting the door. A couple seconds later, the two boys began to argue.

"Can I talk to her Kyoya?"

"No." Kyoya said firmly, his voice even.

"What did I do?" Tamaki nearly yelled.

"That's what I want to know."

"I was just talking to her. I... I might've said some heavy things but I did nothing to cause her to stop talking to me..."

"Why don't you recap for me. I'll tell you what you said." Kyoya's voice took on a steely quality. He was in a very foul mood and judging by Tamaki's shaky voice as he spoke, I was sure he could tell.

"You'll get mad...it's not really your business. It's between Haruhi and me."

Sighing, I crawled from the bed and tried to open the door. Kyoya must've been holding on to it because it would barely budge. "It is his business Tamaki!"

"Haruhi, please rest. I can handle this." Kyoya told me calmly.

"No. I want to talk too. Tamaki went into a massive confession about how he feels and when I wouldn't take him, he started bashing you..."

I tried opening the door again and this time, there was no resistance. Kyoya stood with his back to me, his neck turned so he could see my face. Tamaki stood across from him, his expression pained. "What sort of things did he say Haruhi?" His voice was even but his eyes were very cautious.

I looked from Kyoya to Tamaki. I wanted to answer but Tamaki's pleading eyes silenced me. If I just threw it all out in the open, it would damage their friendship even more. Tamaki is like a big brother to me. I don't want him to be pushed from my life for good. And who's to say he really loves me. He's so dense all the time. He's probably just confused. With a shaky smile, I shook my head. "Okay let's not worry. I'm sorry that things are like this Tamaki. Can you settle for friends?"

Both boys stared at me blankly. After a long, awkward moment, Tamaki finally spoke. "Uh... sure." He was upset. I could see that clearly. At least Kyoya looked appeased.

The tention was still there. Not between me and either of the boys but between them. There was probably a lot of things they wanted to say that they've left unspoken. "I'm not sure if it's my place to say but I think you two should talk about things. Get everything out in the open."

A second later, both boys nodded. Kyoya leaned over to give me a careful side hug before walking to stand next to Tamaki. "We're gonna take a walk into town. Since the trip is getting cut short, I need to apologize and bring money to the man who was going to drive us from the house to town when we needed things. He was expecting a whole week's payment."

"Have fun." I smiled awkwardly, feeling bad for them. I waited until they were downstairs to shut my door and start packing.

That evening, we all waited at the gate for the helicopter to arrive that would take us to the airport. The sky was dark but not too dark. The sun was just about to set over the horizen. Earlier, when Kyoya and Tamaki returned from town, I noticed right away that some of the tention was gone. They were on casual speaking terms again. I was pulled from my thoughts by the twins. Both snaked up on either side of me, locking their arms around me. "So how was the vacation?"

"Okay I guess. I wish we could've stayed longer. But I do miss Tokyo." I said thoughtfully.

"Anything fun happen last night?" They randomly asked, their eyebrows raised and their mouths forming creepy smiles.

"Uh... no." I mumbled, not sure what they were getting at.

"Oh don't play innocent Haruhi." Hikaru chidded. "I got up to get a snack at around one in the morning and I heard whispering from your room. You and Kyoya were in bed together weren't you?"

My face went a million shades of red. "Of course not!"

Kyoya pulled me from the twins' grip then, putting a protective arm around my shoulders. "Haruhi had a nightmare last night. Nothing untoward happened. Go bug someone else."

The twins were taken aback. So much so, that I was offended for them. Kyoya sounded so annoyed. His emotions are normally more under control. Looking at his face, I saw that he was looking very tense. Twenty minutes later, the sun was officially set and the pilot still hadn't arrived. Everyone had sort of wandered away from the gate by then. Tamaki, Honey senpai and the twins were running around in the field across from us while Mori stood near them, cupping his hands in the air. I looked more closely to see he was trying to catch lightening bugs.

Sure that no one could hear us, I turned to Kyoya. "What's wrong?"

He looked at me from the corner of his eye. "Would you think any less of me if I told you I was afraid?"

I took his hand. "Not at all. What are you afraid of?"

"Failing." Unsure of what he meant exactly, I squeezed his hand in encouragement to continue. "If I fail in my objective, several things might happen. I might die. People I care about might die. That's enough of a risk to not want to go through with it. But I know that worse things will happen if I don't try."

I knew exactly what he was talking about now. His objective. Poisoning his father. Getting him out of the way so that no more bloodshed will take place. "I wish I could cheer you on and put your fears at ease but I don't want anyone to have to die. Even him..."

"I don't have a choice. He won't change. I need to choose a form of death that he won't expect."

"But who will pay for it? The police will invenstigate and they'll want someone to go to prison. What if an innocent man is charged for the crime. What if you are?"

He laughed a bitter laugh. "I'm an Ootori, Haruhi. My position and wealth will save me and all involved. No one will take the fall."

I didn't respond. My eyes were now on the little black dot moving towards us. A few minutes later, I could hear the spinning blades. "It's the helicopter!" I called, getting everyone's attention. We all gathered back at the gate, our luggage sitting on the ground beside us. The helicopter landed shortly and we were escorted on. After our lugged was safely put in the back compartment of the helicopter, we took off. I really hope things work out for the best.


	20. Anything But Weak

**I'VE REALIZED THAT MY CHAPTERS ARE GETTING SHORTER. I'M SORRY FOR THAT. :/ I'LL TRY TO MAKE THEM LONGER. I REALLY LIKE THE 5K LENGTH I USED TO USE AND SO DO SEVERAL OF MY READERS. **

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. **

**I'M SORRY TO ANYONE WHO DOESN'T LIKE THE DIRECTION OF THIS STORY. LET ME KNOW PLEASE AND I'LL TRY TO INCORPORATE YOUR IDEAS. I'D REALLY LOVE TO HEAR THEM. **

**ENJOY!**

**SELECTED CHAPTER SONG? - WELL I DID LISTEN TO YIRUMA'S 'THE RIVER FLOWS IN YOU' DURING THE MORE EMOTIONAL POINTS IN THIS CHAPTER. MUSIC HELPS ME GET INTO CHARACTER AND IMAGINE THAT THE SCENE IS REALLY TAKING PLACE. MY MIND IS SORT OF LIKE A MOVIE SCREEN SOMETIMES.**

Haruhi's POV:

"Are you sure this is okay?" Kyoya asked for the third time since the other host club members were dropped off at their homes. After the helicopter landed at the airport, we all got onto the jet plane and headed straight for Tokyo. Once there, we piled into a limo waiting for us and started taking everyone home. First Honey senpai and Mori senpai, then the twins and then Tamaki. After that, we headed to my house. All was a predetermined route that the driver had memorized.

"Yes it's okay. You can stay with us tonight since it's too late to go to the bank or ask for an apartment. We'll get up early tomorrow and handle everything. You can make a withdrawl using the atm at the bank about a block from here in the morning."

"It can't work that way Haruhi." He said as he clicked a button. A thick glass window lifted up, creating a wall between us and the driver. An elaborate design was painted on the window with a golden 'O' in the center. Kyoya closed the curtains. "If I use a card, my father can find out what part of town I'm in. Besides..." He paused and began to feel around the rim of padding near the glass dividing window. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a little pocket knife. Opening it up, he began to move the blade near his hand. A spark flickered and I jumped.

"What did you just do?"

He turned to me, his jaw looking taute. "I cut the line to the camera's sound. My father has cameras in here so he can record conversations for later viewing. Anything we say has to be out of the driver's knowledge. It's his request. Need to know." He told me with his teeth clenched. "If you speak, speak without moving your lips. I've never been able to find the line to the camera itself so I can't cut that. My money isn't at the kind of bank you use."

I nearly scoffed. Keeping my teeth together, I spoke. "Are you telling me that there's a bank for only rich people? I guess I should've figured as much."

He chuckled. "We'll be going to it in the morning. Let's stay silent for the rest of the trip."

"Wait. If you don't want your father to know where you're going, what are we going to do about the driver."

"Mr. Hijo is retiring tonight under my orders. I've left him a large amount of money that will allow him to live out the rest of his life comfortably with his family. If problems arise for him, I'll arrange for him to move to another part of Japan with his wife and daughter. Somewhere outside of my father's reach."

"Is there such a place?" I asked, unable to imagine any sort of limits being placed on a man like Yoshio Ootori.

"Not in this country but there are places my father won't bother messing with. Sapporo. My father stays clear of it because another business man that he hates very much has staked his claim there the way my father has with Tokyo."

Talking with my teeth clenched was making my jaws hurt so I stayed silent until we stopped next to the complex. I relaxed my mouth as I walked around to get my bags. Getting quickly out of the car, Kyoya began unloading our luggage from the trunk hiself. Mr. Hijo tried to help bring them to the apartment but Kyoya took the bags from him. "Thank you for all you've done for my family. All the money you need has been put into the account I've set up for you."

Mr. Hijo bowed. "Thank you. I'll take all the knowledge I have to my grave."

"Drive the limo to the dock I told you of before. Don't hesitate at all. Get directly from the limo and walk to the alley across from the water. Get in the black mercedes with license plate number **(censor. Don't wanna use a real number in case someone has that plate number.)** and drive the back road to your family's house. If anything arises, call me imediately and I'll make arrangements for your family to be relocated.

Both men nodded. With that, Mr. Hijo got back in the limo and took off right away. I helped Kyoya lug all our bags into the apartment and up the stairs. Unlocking the door, we went in. My father had left on his little spa getaway sometime this afternoon so we'd be alone for at least tonight and tomorrow night. It felt awkward knowing I'd be sharing an apartment with Kyoya for possibly that long without my dad here.

Knowing my dad, he'd be happy if I told him I were knocked up as long as Kyoya promised to marry me. And I know the type of person Kyoya is. He's too honorable to leave me if I were carrying his child. Not just because he's an Ootori but because he was a good man. Shaking my head, I tried to get rid of the idea of me ever getting pregnant at this age. "For tonight, you're welcome to use my father's bed since he'll be gone. You know where the bathroom is. I'll make us some tea."

At least Kyoya had his luggage from the trip. It would give him something to wear since he couldn't return to his house. Kyoya stood awkwardly in the doorway for a moment. "Should I put my things in his room?"

I nodded, resisting the urge to laugh. Something about the way he fumbled through my world was funny. It almost made up for all the times I've done the same in his. "That's the idea. Go ahead."

"Okay?" He lifted his bags and walked past the kitchen and down the hallway.

After putting water in the kettle then sitting it on the stove to boil, I drug my bags to my room to unpack. I idley noticed that my father's bedroom door was closed. About ten minutes later, I was finished organizing and was checking for messages on my phone. None so far. As I sat my phone on my dresser, I caught sight of something shining in the moonlight. The necklace Kyoya gave me. I must have forgot to take it on the trip.

Shutting my room door, pulled out a pair of plaid pajama bottoms and and old t shirt and put them on. At this point, I don't see why I should dress up for him.

_'Things won't last between you two unless he's willing to fight for you.' 'He's an Ootori and Ootoris don't marry commoners!'_

What the heck? Shaking my head, I let myself slide to the floor. Crossing my legs, I held my head in my hands. Well yeah I guess I always figured that would happen but I tried to never acknowledge it... Next year will be his last year. At that point, he'll move on with his life. Go to college, start thinking of the future his family wanted for him. He'd be introduced to a refined, wealthy girl and he'd marry her. And at that point, when his whole life was finally making sense, would he even think of me? That answer was easy enough to guess... no... he wouldn't...

A knock at the door made me jump. "Haruhi? Are you alright?"

Was I? Taking a few deep breathes, I got up off the floor. "Yes. Give me a minute and I'll meet you in the living room."

"The tea is finished. I took it off the stove."

"Thanks." I waited until his footsteps were faintly heard in the living room to pull open my bottom drawer. It was the drawer I shoved all the clothes my dad secretly bought for me that I'd never wear in a million years. I was being controled by another force now. The force that was determined to give him a reason to stay. Pulling out a soft cotton pair of pink Victoria's Secret pajama pants and a matching blouse-like shirt, I put them on instead and rushed to my dresser to grab and put on the pearl necklace. **(A/N: Picture of the pajama set can be seen when you click on the link on my profile page. Thought it was cute and it's Haruhi's version of something that's unnesessary to wear.)**

I cautiously opened the door and walked out. I couldn't see Kyoya from here so I figured he couldn't see me. Rushing into the bathroom, I shut the door and looked frantically for my toothbrush. When my teeth were brushed, I gulped and opened the cabinet above the toilet where my dad kept his emergency makeup kit. Half the stuff here, I didn't even know the name of let alone know how to use it. Digging around, I found the gloss. I knew what that was at least. Putting some on, I put everything in place and opened the bathroom door with even more caution.

I nearly jumped ten feet in the air when I saw Kyoya at the other end of the hallway. He looked confused. "Your tea is getting cold."

Blushing, I walked into the open, crossing my arms behind my back. I saw the corners of his mouth twitch when he took in my appearance but other than that, his mask stayed in place. Blushing harder, I clumbsily walked the ten paces to him. By the time I reached him, he had already opened his arms to recieve me. Leaning my head against his chest, I sighed. "Well this is embarassing." I said, my voice muffled by his shirt.

"How?" He asked me. I could tell he found the situation funny by the tone in his voice.

"Nothing." I sighed again before pulled from his grip. Walking past him, I grabbed my tea from the table and took a drink. I wrinkled my nose. Cold. Picking up the plastic serving plate that Kyoya had mistaken for a teatray, I went to dump our tea and brew more. While I was waiting for the water to boil, I looked at the note my father left on the fridge.

**Haruhi! **

**If you're reading this, then you're back home and**

**I'm at the spa with the girls! I did a little shopping**

**so there should be plenty of food for you and Kyoya if he **

**happens to visit. Be a good little hostess if you have any **

**company and serve the good tea I hide on the top shelf for**

**special occations. I'll be back in a couple days.**

**Love,**

**Daddy 3**

**P.S. Don't you dare invite over that Tamaki boy or daddy will**

**be very upset.**

When I turned around, I was suprised to see Kyoya standing right behind me, reading the note over my shoulder. Standing to his full height, he looked around for a second. "The tea he mentioned is right there. Should I reach it since I doubt you could without the use of a ladder?"

Miffed, I spun around and began reaching in the direction he had been looking. It was on top of a cabinet, near the ceiling. I reached for it but even stretched on my toes, I was over a foot away from getting it. Looking down at the counter, I placed my hands on it and hoisted myself up. Sitting on my knees, I tried again. I grabbed ahold of it, I waved it in Kyoya's face. "Ha."

As I jumped down from the counter and started scooping the tea into two cups, I didn't miss Kyoya's eye roll and amused smile. "Nevermind then. I suppose you can take care of yourself then. Well... almost."

As I finished up the tea, I turned around to give him a confused look. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Self defense. You have none. And you havn't been carrying around that mace I gave you. I saw it on your dresser when I passed your room."

I pouted. "I don't need mace."

He raised an eyebrow. "Have we forgotten the incident at the cherry blossom ceremony?"

"That was a fluke. It's not like it's gonna happen again." Carrying the tea into the living room, I distracted myself by looking through the movies. Before I could select one, Kyoya knelt down beside me and placed his hands on my shoulders. Turning my head to look at him, I listened intently when he spoke.

"I'm very serious Haruhi. With everything happening the way it is, I want you to be as safe as possible."

Maybe it was his convincing voice or maybe it was the desperation in his eyes but I nodded my head yes. "Alright. I'll carry the mace and I'll let you teach me a little self defense."

The corners of his mouth moved upward, barely forming a smile. "Thank you." At that, he grabbed my wrists and lifted us both up to our feet. "Okay let's start."

My eyes widened in suprise. "What? You mean now?"

"Yes now. No time like the present."

I sighed and lifted my arms in front of me, balling my hands into fists. "Alright."

He shook his head. "As much as I'd like you to be able to put up an even fight with an attacker, I don't have time to really teach you to fight back. If an attacker advances towards you, the first thing you want to do is make as much noise as possible. When given the option between fight or flight, choose flight. Run, scream, alert anyone that might be nearby who could help. I'll show you how to get out of holds first."

Without warning, he grabbed both of my wrists. I tried getting free but his grip was too strong. "Okay now what?"

"Now kick me in the shin like you're kicking a soccer ball." He ordered.

I shook my head quickly. "No. I'm not going to kick you."

"I've been trained in martial arts. I've recieved so many kicks to the legs, I know I can handle another. Besides, you're too weak to cause any damage." As he said the last part, he smirked.

I glared. That one deserved retaliation. Swinging my leg back, I sent it flying forward. As I made contact with his shin, I waited for him to react. He didn't even flinch. "No fair. I'm not even wearing shoes. I'll probably be wearing a pair if I'm out in public and someone tries to attack me."

He rolled his eyes and dropped my hands before walking around the corner and down the hall. A minute later, he came back with the flats I had worn home from Niigata. He dropped them at my feet and I slipped them on. "Okay. Try again." He ordered as he grabbed my wrists and started pulling me towards him.

Pulling away, I let my leg fly forward again. When I made contact, his eyes flew open and his grip on my wrists relaxed. Ripping my arms away, I ran. I only made it to the kitchen before his arms were around my waist, pulling me back against him. "How was that?"

He chuckled. "Good. It actually hurt."

"Good. Payback for calling me weak." The carefree smile on his face made me smile. It was nice to see him happy and distracted from everything that's been weighing on his mind lately. I couldn't even imagine having to take on the responsibility to killing my own father for the greater good. Maybe... maybe in the end, things could be done differently.

"It got the right reaction didn't it." He started walking backwards, bringing me with him. As he fell back onto the couch, he turned me so I'd land sideways, sitting on his lap. "Haruhi, you are anything but weak. Nothing short of the strongest woman alive could handle the host club. I'm not gonna lie. We're a nightmare." He chuckled and I laughed too.

"No not really. I really love the host club. Yes, Tamaki, Hikaru and Kaoru are beyond out of control but they're like the annoying brothers I never had. Mori senpai's the protective older brother and Honey senpai's the little brother that loves cake and stuffed animals and..."

"And what about me?" His eyes were staring right into mine. It made it difficult to form a sentence at all, let alone answer his question.

"What do you want to be?" I finally spoke.

He was silent at first. His lips parted as his smile dropped. Suddenly, he pulled me to him, holding me so tightly, my breathing was nearly cut off. "For now..." He whispered. "...let's settle for the one you run to when the storms come."

"Is that all?" I asked when he didn't say anything more.

His grip loosened on me but he kept his arms locked around my waist. "No. But that's all I can really say. I won't make a promise to you that I cannot keep."

I didn't respond. I knew what he meant. He wasn't going to promise to be with me because he knew his family would eventually want him to leave me. After all, I'm not even really part of the same world as he is. I'm not rich or successful or even elegant. I'm barely middle class, I'm blunt, I'm crude. Maybe someday I'll become a lawyer like my mom but that still won't matter any. It would take magic to put me on the same playing field as an Ootori.

Finally, I spoke. "I understand." Kissing his cheek, I freed myself from his arms and resumed picking out a movie.


	21. A Bet And A Look Into Kyoya's Past

**I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY THIS NEXT CHAPTER. AS I WRITE IT, I AM LISTENING TO 'WHEN THE LOVE FALLS RAINING' BY YIRUMA. IT'S SOFT PIANO PLAYING DURING A THUNDERSTORM. SO PEACEFUL YET SO SAD...**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. :( SADLY.**

**ENJOY!**

Haruhi's POV:

_Water. It's all around me. It pulls me under and tosses me this way and that. I desperately reach for the surface but I'm just not strong enough. I try opening my eyes but the water is just too dark. It's just too deep. Suddenly, a flash of lightning lights up the water around me, giving me enough light to see that I've sunk to the bottom. Another flash and I see the rain hitting the surface of the water. I want to swim up but I'm afraid to... a storm... As I drift into unconciousness, I feel someone's arms wrap around me, dragging me deeper into nothingness..._

My eyes slowly open but all I see is darkness. I can still feel the arms around me. Reaching forward, my hand hits something wooden. As I feel around, I see that it's my side table. Reaching up, I pull the chain on my little lamp. Just a dream. I'm back in my room again. The arms around me now are Kyoya's. Turning in his arms, I see him sleeping peacefully beside me. Another flash lights up the room. Oh. There's a storm tonight... no wonder I had a nightmare.

"Kyoya?" I whisper, unable to help myself. I'd feel a lot better if he were awake with me. "Kyoya?"

This time, his eyes open. He looks half asleep. "Hmm?"

"It's storming Kyoya..." I said a little louder. He blinks rapidly for a few seconds, lifting his head a few inches from the pillow we were sharing. After his eyes adjusted, he looked much more alert. And annoyed.

"What?" He whispered, a little sharper than I expected. Before I could respond, thunder cracked in the sky. I jumped and burried my face in his chest. He didn't speak at first. He just wrapped his arms more tightly around me. When he finally spoke, he voice was significantly more gentle. "It's just a storm. Don't worry."

I felt him lean over me for a second. A clicking sound later, the light in the room vanished. He turned off the lamp. "Can't we keep it on?"

"Haruhi, open your eyes." I did as he said. "See how much light the storm is bringing the room?"

He was right. The storm wasn't nearly as heavy as the storm from the time we went to the beach. The thunder rumbled in the distance as the rain hit the window in constant streams. Lightning flashed, making me flinch. Kyoya rubbed my back in soothing circles. I spent a long time staring out the window. The rain was peaceful.

About twenty minutes later, I no longer felt frightened by the storm. I was safe here. If the storm got any heavier, I'd probably change my mind though. When I looked away from the window, I saw that Kyoya was sleeping again. Sluggling against him, I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to take me.

When my eyes opened again, it was still raining but the sky was beginning to brighten. I smiled. I made it through the night without crying. Kyoya was sleeping still, of course. He could probably sleep through a tornado. Turning the other way in his arms, I spotted his laptop on the floor. Well we did say no more secrets. Grabbing it, I carefully scooted up and propped my head on the headboard. As I opened the screen, it lit up and went straight to the desktop. It was a picture of me in my kimono during the cherry blossom ceremony. I smiled.

I'll leave his documents alone but I do want to go through his music. Spotting my headphones attatched to my mp3 player on my sidetable, I plugged them in to Kyoya's computer and clicked the _MY MUSIC _option. Several folders popped up, each with a different style of music. _Classical, Soft Rock, Alternative, American, Haruhi's Music._ Haruhi's music? I clicked that one and it opened without asking for a password. Putting the headphones in my ears, I clicked _Track One_.

It was a very soft classical song played on the piano. In the background, there was a calm thunderstorm.

**Haruhi's Music List:**

**(A list of soothing classical songs created by Kyoya for Haruhi)**

**- Yiruma's - 'When The Love Falls Raining'**

**- Yiruma's - 'The River Flows In You'**

**- Yiruma's - 'Kiss the Rain'**

**- Carter Burwell's - 'Bella's Lullaby'**

**- Roy Todd's - 'Twilight'**

By the end of the music list, I was nearly back asleep. Each song calmed my heartrate and made me forget everything. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt the bed dip. Looking over, I saw that Kyoya was awake and was getting up. He pulled his arm from under me, a smile on his face. "I'll be right back. Enjoy the music."

"Thanks." He left the room then. A minute later, I heard him start the bathtub then flipped the switch that started the shower. While he took his shower, I decided to get up and figure out what I was going to wear today. We'd be going to a rich people bank. I frowned. It seemed really unnecessary for there to be a bank like that. But maybe not. Kyoya had a lot more money than the average person. A big sum of money needed to be protected in a bank like that. I couldn't even wrap my head around how much his inheritance was going to be.

Digging in the back of my closet, I founda white dress that my dad had brought home a while back for me. It still had its price tags. Ripping off the tags, I pulled out the chiffon, thick strapped sundress and sat it on my bed. A few minutes after I had everything together, Kyoya stepped out of the bathroom. He walked right into my dad's room, already dressed in black pants and a white button up shirt as if he were dressing in the school uniform. Getting my own stuff together, I rushed into the bathroom and took my own shower.

Twenty minutes later, I was out and got dressed in the sundress. Putting on some wedge heels, because I hate skinny heels with a passion, Brushing my teeth and blowdrying my hair, I put on one of those sparkly headbands dad kept buying me and rushed from the bathroom. Kyoya was waiting directly outside so I slid right into him. "Oops." I mumbled and he laughed. He was dressed in a full suit.

"I'm curious Kyoya, why did you pack a black suit in your bag for Niigata."

"Precaution." He answered with a shrug. "All the hosts did. Of course you didn't have to since no one in Niigata is aware that you're pretending to be a boy. Do you have a wig you could wear?"

"Why?" I frowned.

"Because I don't want my father to be able to look at the bank's security footage and directly know that it's you."

"He'll probably guess it's me Kyoya. I have met him before." I told him as I went to dig around in my closet for that wig I remembered taking home with me from one of the club events a while back. Finding the box it was in, I took it over to the wall mirror to put it on. It was dark brown with wavy curls that went a little past my shoulders with straight across bangs. Putting the sparkly headband over it, I turned to Kyoya. He looked deep in thought.

"Maybe I should go alone..." He finally said.

"No. I'm going with you." I argued when he tried to walk out of the room. There's no way I'm leaving him alone with his father being so hell bent on murder. He looked like he wanted to argue so I kept talking. "He already knows who I am and that you're probably with me. The only thing he doesn't know is where I live. So if you show up at the bank alone and your father looks at the security footage, he'll assume I'm alone and think it's the perfect time to come looking for me. If he finds me, he finds you. Since he'd be on alert, he'd wait for you to use a credit card or something. Which means I might as well go with you."

I wasn't sure if it all made sense but he seemed convinced. "And your saying that he won't be looking for credit card usage if he assumes I'm just staying at your place, yes?"

"Exactly. If you show up alone, he'll think you're trying to get a place of your own. Which you are. Don't let him put the pieces together. And you said something about using a fake name if you got a place. How are you going to go about that?"

"I have connections. We need to hurry and show up right when the bank opens. I don't want to wait. The sooner we're out of there, the better. We'll take a cab."

I nodded and went to grab my phone and put on my necklace. Getting my keys, we left right away with an umbrella. It was still lightly raining. I locked the door behind us and handed the keys to Kyoya to put in his pocket. As soon as we were on the main street, Kyoya and I waited for a cab to pass by. "What do you want to do after we have the money?" I asked.

"We'll stop by someplace of your recomendation for breakfast since I don't know the area around here, then we'll make a stop somewhere where you are to stay directly beside me at all times. I'll get my fake documents there. Then we'll stop and get me a car to drive around in for a few days before heading back here to get me an apartment. If there isn't one here, I'll try somewhere nearby."

"Or you could continue to stay with me." I offered but he shook his head.

"Your father is very tollerant of me but he might change his mind if I overstayed my welcome."

"I highly doubt that will ever happen." I stated, laughing a little as Kyoya successfully hailed an approaching cab. Helping me in first, he shut the umbrella and got in with me.

"We're heading uptown. When we get there, I'll give further instructions."

"How far uptown?" The driver asked.

"About twenty minutes from here."

The driver frowned. "I don't have time to go up that far kid. My route is in this section of town."

"I will pay you fifty thousand yen for the morning. We'll be making four stops before your services are no longer required. Drive us where I order or I'll pay you nothing."

"Fifty thousand yen kid? Really?" The driver's eyes widened.

"Drive." Kyoya ordered, his voice becoming icey. "Another thirty thousand yen will be added if you can promise us your discretion. No one is to know you've seen either of us. I can promise you that you will not like the outcome if you do tell anyone."

The driver's face paled and the car started moving forward. The driver kept his wide eyes on the road during the trip, not looking at either of us once in the rearview mirror. Kyoya gave him specific instructions. I felt very intimidated as the driver turned onto a circling drive and parked in front of a very large building. The whole front wall was made of glass windows. "Is this it?" The driver asked shakilly.

"Yes, thank you. We'll be out in fifteen minutes or less." Kyoya got out first, opening the umbrella then helping me out. As we walked through the front doors, I noticed a woman sitting at a reception desk get very wide eyed. Someone rushed over and took our umbrella, shutting it and giving a quick bow to Kyoya. So they know him very well here...

"Mr. Ootori, it's wonderful to see you again. Should I inform Mr. Suzuki that you're here?"

"Yes, thank you."

The woman picked up her phone and dialed a number quickly. "Hello sir. The youngest Ootori is here to see you. He's brought a guest...yes sir." She hung up the phone and smiled at us. "He'll see you now."

Kyoya nodded and escorted me to the left to an elevator. Clicking the up button, we waited. As soon as the doors opened, he drug us both in and clicked the highest floor button. '19'. We were both very silent. Kyoya's tense expression told me silence was expected. When the door opened, I saw a marble hallway. There were several doors but we walked past all of them. Turning left at the end of the hallway, I saw a set of double doors, already opened.

Walking through them, Kyoya stopped at a golden elevator and clicked the only button there. It had a cursive 'S' on it. A little keypad popped out from the wall. Kyoya typed something quickly on it and the elevator opened. We walked inside right away.

When the doors closed, Kyoya's posture relaxed. "We're now free of cameras so we can talk. But once it opens in Mr. Suzuki's office, silence agian."

"I'm guessing I can't say a word to Mr. Suzuki."

"Nothing other than your name. Which is just Haruhi. He doesn't need to know your last name. If he tries asking you questions, let me answer them for you."

"Then what?"

"Then breakfast, then a visit to a connection of mine."

"And the connection will get you the documents?"

"Yes." Kyoya answered with a strange tone. It sounded final, like that was all he'd say.

"Why does your family need to have a connection like that?"

He didn't respond. A second later, the doors opened to reveal a spacious office. The left wall had a large fireplace, the right wall was all bookcases and the whole back wall behind the desk was glass. Sitting at the desk was a large bellied man in a very expensive looking suit, flipped through the pages of some book. When Kyoya and I stepped out of the elevator, he looked up. "Ah. Please take a seat Mr. Ootori."

Kyoya just nodded his head and walked across the room to the desk. We both sat in the chairs provided while the man got up and walked over to a globe across the room. Grabbing some sort of handle, he opened it to reveal a little mini bar. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"No thank you Mr. Suzuki, I'm here on specific business."

"I see." The man nodded, looking uncomfortable. "The last time I heard those words, your father broke off all ties with my bank."

"Which is why I use it. I'd also apreciate if you'd not tell me father I ever stopped by here."

Mr. Suzuki smiled awkwardly as he went to sit back in his chair. "Of course. All business is confidential." His eyes glanced at me but he never spoke to me or about me.

"I'm going to extract one million yen. I need it all in smaller bills. The highest bill being a ten thousand yen bill. Can you do this?"

"Yes, of course. Might I ask why?"

"No." Kyoya said quickly, his tone harsh. Mr. Suzuki all but shook in fear. I could see in his posture and his eyes that he was afraid of Kyoya. Or maybe it was just Kyoya's family's power that intimidated him.

"Forgive me." Mr. Suzuki said quickly before typing quickly at his computer. A minute later, he stood and walked towards the wall the fireplace was on. He walked up to a self portrait of himself and reached for it. As he swung it back, I saw that it was hinged to the wall to hide a safe. "It's a small amount of money. I'll just get it for you from my own personal safe."

Mr. Suzuki spun the combination lock right, then left, then right again before I heard a click sound and the safe door swung open. From the angle I was seated, I couldn't see deep into the safe but I could see several rows of stacked bills up front. Mr. Suzuki grabbed a few stacks and placed them on the table in front of him. He started to unbind the money and place it into more piles as he continued to talk to Kyoya. "Should I add extraction fee to your tab?"

"I'd like very much for my visit here to remain confidential... untraceable." Kyoya told him, his voice lowering on the last word.

"Yes sir."

It was almost comical to see Mr. Suzuki, who had to be over twice Kyoya's age, be this intimidated by a high schooler. As I turned to look around the rest of the room, Mr. Suzuki came back to his desk with a few stacks of bills in hand. He placed the money in front of Kyoya to count. Kyoya was thurough but quick. Not even a full five minutes later, he had the money counted and was asking for a bag. Mr. Suzuki gave Kyoya a black briefcase to hold the money in.

I stood when the other two did, following Kyoya to the elevator. "Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier miss.' He called, stopping us. He walked up to me and took my hand, kissing the back of it. "I'm Hayato Suzuki."

I smiled politely. "I'm Haruhi." I whispered, eyeing Kyoya when I saw his posture stiffen out of the corner of my eye.

"We must be going. The car is waiting." Kyoya said shortly before grabbing my hand away from Mr. Suzuki. The elevator opened then and Kyoya practically dragged me in. As soon as the door closed, Kyoya sighed. "That man iritated me to no end."

I frowned. "Why? He was really nice."

"He was staring at you. Then he stepped over the line by trying to introduce himself after I told him we were leaving. Bold for him."

"So?"

Kyoya shook his head. "And nothing I guess. He flirts. Extensively usually but he kept his distance this time. Not ever because he likes you but because he wants to gain your trust in someway. He's a big supporter of my father and even though my father doesn't use that bank anymore, my father still makes donations to it when Suzuki throws his charity balls."

"Is there a chance Mr. Suzuki will tell your father you were there."

"Without a doubt, but only if my father directly asks. As long as I leave him feeling-"

"Intidated." I finished for him, smirking.

"Exactly. As long as I leave him feeling intimidated, he won't try contacting my father on his own." The elevator door opened then and we both lapsed into silence.

By the time we made it back to the cab, the driver was looking very annoyed. One harsh order to start driving brought back the fear in his eyes from earlier. Leaning up to Kyoya, I whispered. "Let's go ahead and go to that connection of yours and then the car dealer place. We can go get breakfast after we make sure everything is settled."

Kyoya nodded and told the driver to head downtown then east. We drove for a good thirty minutes before we stopped in front of an old but well kept brick building. By the time we made it here, it had stopped raining. "Kyoya gave me a loaded glance before grabbing my upper arm and exiting the car with me practically in his lap. When out of the limo, he put both arms around me and told the driver to lock his doors and wait. As soon as we walked to the other side, I understood why it was necessary.

Leaning against the brick building was a group of people that looked capable of robbing you blind. About three yards to their right were a row of motercycles, waiting for them. Their eyes followed us both until we were in the building. As soon as we were, Kyoya reached behind us and turned the bolt on the door. I relaxed a little then. The room we were in was a waiting room with a few folding chairs scattered. The receptionist desk was just a long counter that took up the whole wall with one of those lifting counters to get through. A man sat there with his back to us, his eyes on the tv.

Kyoya cleared his throat, making the man jump. "When Ryo gave you this job, I'm pretty sure he meant 'watch the door', not 'watch the score on the game' huh Nori?" Kyoya's voice was significantly less harsh here. He almost sounded joking.

The man named Nori turned around and gave Kyoya sheepish grin. He was a little round but not nearly as chubby as Mr. Suzuki. He wore a wrinkly dress shirt and a crooked tie. He looked naturally friendly. "Yeah. Couldn't resist. How's it going Kyoya?"

"Good. I've got a chore for you while I talk to Ryo." Kyoya took just my hand and held it high up, escorting me to the counter. He lifted up the hatch and walked me in, having me sit in another chair on the other side of it. "This girl's very special to me but I know Ryo wouldn't apreciate me bringing her back with me. I want you to babysit for a few minutes."

I scowled. "I don't need to be babysat Kyoya."

"Here you do. You can trust Nori. He's a good guy." Kyoya kissed my forhead before walking to the side of the counter and going right in a door. As soon as he shut it, Nori gave me one of those smiles that was supposed to help put me at ease. I tried to relax but I kept thinking of those dangerous looking guys outside the building. Even with the door locked, it'd take nothing at all for them to break it down if they all worked together.

"So how are you?" He asked, eyeing the tv for a second.

"Good." I whispered.

"What's your name?"

"Haruhi."

"Want anything to drink Haruhi. I think I've got some pop left. I doubt Kyoya would be happy if I handed you a beer." He said with a laugh while he got up and rummaged through a minifridge sitting on a table near us. "I've got a Dr. Pepper left. That okay?"

"Thank you." I said as he handed it to me. Opening it, I eyed the door Kyoya had gone into. I didn't hear a word. Maybe he went a ways away on the other side of the door so no one could hear if they tried. I wonder why this Ryo guy would be upset if Kyoya brought me in. Maybe cause he makes fake documents and is careful of who he trusts.

Judging by how familiar Nori and Kyoya were with eachother, I figured Kyoya had been here at least a few times before. Maybe this is where the Ootoris buy documents for people afiliated with their family to take if being in the Ootori's social circle caused problems for them. A few sips later, I decided to ask Nori a few questions. "Could I ask you something?"

When I spoke, he jumped a little. His attention had been back on the game for a few minutes. He looked at me with an eyebrow raised. "Sure kid. What?"

"Why does Kyoya go here? It seems like you guys know him well."

Nori chuckled. "Yeah we do. But I doubt I'm allowed to say. Ask Kyoya."

I traced the rim of my soda can absent-mindedly. "He wouldn't tell me."

"Oh?" Nori looked almost amused by this. "Alright but you can't tell anyone I told you."

I nodded eagerly, giving Nori an encouraging smile.

"Promise?" He asked carefully, holding up his pinky. I stared at it for a second, wondering how old he thought I was but nonetheless locked my pinky with his.

"I promise."

"Alright kid." He sighed, pulling his hand away. "Ten years ago, there was a massive threat on the Ootori family. One so big, all the family members were gonna have to be seperated and given aliases before being sent away to hide. I honestly don't know what the threat was but it left them all shaken up. Mr. Ootori came in here one afternoon with little Kyoya at his side. Mr. Ootori looked... really beaten down by the stress. He asked me to watch his son while he talked to Ryo and I did."

Nori paused for a minute, his eyes distant. No doubt remembering the very day and all that happened. Finally, he spoke again. "For a good two hours, I sat behind the counter playing cards with Kyoya while his dad and Ryo argued and negotiated on price and all that came with it. Mr. Ootori didn't want to pay the usual price. He was obstinant about the location and thought that such a run-down place didn't deserve the credibility it was given."

"Then why did Mr. Ootori choose this place?" I asked.

"Reguardless of where we are, we're considered the best in the city. Before I started working here, Ryo had a nicer office but by the time I was given a job, the police had busted him and he'd spent a few years in jail. Being as connected as he was, he got out quickly and opened a more secluded branch of his business here. He still has plenty of business and this neighborhood's so bad, even the cops won't come here."

"And what happened after Ryo and Mr. Ootori argued?" I prodded, wanting to get back to the main story.

"Well when they finally agreed on their terms, Ryo made the papers real quick and Mr. Ootori and Kyoya left with them. It was the quickest we've ever made the papers so they weren't as good as they could've been. A few years later, Mrs. Ootori showed up here with Kyoya and her daughter too. While the kids waited with me, Mrs. Ootori talked to Ryo. I later found out that the threat was gone and they never had to leave but she wanted to leave her husband."

I must've looked very shocked because he paused. "Why?" I asked when he didn't speak for a moment.

"I really don't know. Maybe their marriage just wasn't working out and she was too afraid to divorce him. She needed to hide from him. She paid us more than the asking price and patiently waited for the papers to be finished. We spent all day making them look real legit before they left. From the rumors I heard circulating, she had left. Only the public story was that she, the daughter and the youngest son were very sick. About a year later, we got a call from her asking for more papers. She was so...panicked. Mr. Ootori had found her and if she didn't have new papers in two days, she'd be dead."

I gasped. Nori looked pleased with my response, probably enjoying telling the story. "Did you get the papers to her?"

"Not in time. Mr. Ootori took them back and we didn't hear from them for a while. When Kyoya turned fourteen, he showed up by himself. At first, we thought it was a casual visit. He called me Uncle Nori since the day he met me. But he didn't this time. He was... very depressed. He asked to see Ryo right away and I let him in. I followed them, listening in on their conversation on the other side of the door. Kyoya wanted to run away from home so he wanted some papers. His friend had died and he was an emotional wreck over it."

I knew exactly who had died. Arisu. My eyes were sad but he kept on with his story.

"We gave him the papers but he showed up a couple weeks later to return them and inform us that he'd changed his mind. He was different then too. More grown up. Like he'd sort of... just decided to forget everything and move on. We saw him again when he started high school. He wanted some fake little documents that said he and a few more kids were 'honorary hosts'. He said his friends insisted on them. They were starting a club and they wanted them more for sentimental reasons. If Kyoya wasn't such a close friend, we would never had made such stupid little things."

I chuckled. "Yeah that was probably Tamaki's idea."

Nori shrugged. "He came back again a year later, wanting papers so he could run away again... When he walked in, we knew something was very wrong. His face and arms had bruises. We figured his dad had beat him. We had some premade papers ready for him, figuring this day would come at some point. We handed them right over and he hugged us both. We figured we'd never see him again after that. But we did. I remember it perfectly. March 22 last year. He rushed in looking very anxious and gave us back the papers. He'd either healed or covered up all the bruises. He asked for another one of those honorary host papers for a Haruhi Fugioka."

I pointed to myself, suprised. I remembered seeing that document, framed in the music room but I figured they'd made it on their own. I remembered that day too. It was a week after I joined the host club.

Nori looked at me with knowing eyes. "He stayed for you is my guess. What other reason?" Nori's gaze moved to the left of me and his half smile dropped completely. I turned to look in the same direction. Kyoya was leaning against the door. I wondered how long he had been standing there. Possibly long enough to hear the whole story.

"Is my entire life story the only thing you two could think to talk about?" Kyoya asked, not looking mad but not looking happy either. "Come with me Haruhi. Ryo needs a picture of you and I don't have my laptop with me."

"Why?" I asked, getting up. Nori took my drink from me and opened the hatch for me to walk through. Joining Kyoya, I followed him through the door. There were stairs inside the door. Just stairs. We walked up them to the top where there were three different doors. Kyoya opened the one directly across from the stairs and we walked right in.

"Ryo, this is Haruhi." Kyoya introduced me. The room reminded me of a place where you'd print newspapers. There were printers, large printing presses, tables full of papers and a desk crammed against the corner of the room. Ryo, who was working with a printer, stopped to shake my hand.

"Nice to meet you Haruhi. Kyoya tells me he wants some backup papers for you so I'll need a picture to put on the driver's license and the passport."

My eyes widened and I glanced at Kyoya who nodded. Ryo, a thin, balding man in the same kind of casual shirt and tie as Nori, led me to the side of the room to stand in front of a blue screen. He walked a few feet away to stand behind a camera. Ryo paused. "Okay so you said that's wig right Kyoya? Do you want her to be known for having long or short hair?"

"Have her keep the wig." Kyoya said, his gaze on a set of papers on the table near him.

Ryo turned back to me and motioned with his hands for me to stand at a certain place. I smiled for the picture and waited. "Okay, try not to blink. One, two three." The camera flashed. "Good. Now turn and stand at an angle."

He took a few more pictures, me standing in different angles like it were a photoshoot. When Ryo was done, Kyoya went to stand beside me. "Some passports have you standing at an angle while driver's licenses have you facing the camera directly. We didn't want to use the same picture for both so that things would look authentic."

"Oh." For a long time, we didn't move from the chairs we were now seated in. We just watched Ryo run around the room, printing and typing. When he finished, he put a folding table in front of us and showed us all the papers. I was suprised to see my documents. They read 'Azumi Hideko'. Kyoya's papers read 'Shiro Takeyo'.

It was unsettling. I didn't want to have to leave... "Wait Kyoya! What about my father?"

"My father doesn't know who he is. Not his name, where he lives or his job. We'll keep an eye on him reguardless. Don't worry. This is the final option. It probably won't come to this."

I tried to take comfort in that but I couldn't. Ryo put the papers in a large envelope for us before escorting us downstairs. Nori waved at us as we left. We were back in the waiting taxi quickly. Unfortunately, the driver looked pissed. "Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting here?"

"If you stay quiet, I'll change your expected pay to twice what was promised." Kyoya said. The driver's expression changed then. He was very wide eyed. "Now drive us to Toru's car lot uptown and that's the last place you have to drive us."

The driver wasted no time in getting out of this neighborhood. He was probably speeding cause we made it to the car lot in twenty minutes instead of the thirty I had expected it to take. Kyoya reached in his briefcase and counted the money quickly before handed some of it to the driver. the driver took it greatfully. We got out quickly and walked across the car lot. Kyoya eyed a few of the cars but didn't seem impressed by any of them.

Before we made it to the counter, he put the large envelope from Ryo in the front pocket of his briefcase and snapped it shut. I'd seen this car lot before but had never been here. It was far out of my family's price range. Just like the other two stops we made today, everyone seemed to know who Kyoya was. He was flocked by a few overattentive employees, all trying to sell a specific car to him. He went to look at each one but nothing caught his eye. I ended up getting seperated from him halfway through looking at cars when one of the younger female employees hip butted me out of the circle. I'm not convinced at all that it was an accident.

Sighing, I walked towards the back end of the lot. As I passed by an open garage, I paused in suprise. Parked right in the middle of the garage was a sleek, black ferrari. Walking up to it, I traced the coutures of the hood lightly with my fingers. I smiled. This is it. I was about to go find Kyoya when someone startled me. "That's my car." Someone called.

Turning towards the voice, I saw a young man who was probably about twenty walking towards me. He was thin and tall with shoulder length dark brown hair and sharp eyes. He was dressed in a pinstripe suit and a pair of sunglasses. I'm not sure why but something about him told me he was bad news. "I'm sorry." I mumbled, getting ready to walk right out of the garage.

"No don't worry. She's a beauty. I get admirers all the time." He told me before stopped a foot away from me.

"Is there a car like this on the lot?" I asked.

"No. She's one of a kind. Built for speed and luxery comfort. Runs like a dream." As he spoke, he walked to the side so he could lean against his car. I took a step back, afraid to run but wishing I could. "Why? You don't seem like the type to really appreciate a car like this. No offense."

"None taken." I glared. "I need to get back to my boyfriend. He's the one looking for a car."

"Who is he? Maybe I know him? Would his name be 'I don't really have a boyfriend but I'm trying to make you leave me alone'?"

"I really have a boyfriend." I told him.

"Alright. Howabout this. We'll play a little game. One hand of poker. If you win, I'll actually sell this car to your 'boyfriend'." He said, saying the last word as if he didn't believe I had one at all.

"And what if you win?" I asked, guarded.

"A date. I'm sure your boyfriend won't mind." He smirked.

I shook my head. "No way. I told you, I'm taken. And I doubt you want to mess with him."

"Oh? And who is this guy then that I wouldn't want to mess with?"

"Kyoya Ootori." I said with a smirk, waiting for the suprise to take over the guy's face.

"Is that supposed to intimidate me?" He asked, laughing. "Let me introduce myself. Name's Kenji Ito."

"Do you know who the Ootoris are?" I asked him, disbelieving that anyone would NOT be intimidated by the very name.

"Yes. My dad used to be friends with Mr. Ootori. But that doesn't really matter does it? You didn't tell me your name."

I thought. Should I tell him my real name or... "Azumi. Azumi Hideko."

"Well Azumi. I'll change the rules a bit. One round of poker. If you win, I'll sell your boyfriend the car, if I win, I get a kiss on the cheek."

I stared at him, trying to resist the urge to hit him. He was the biggest pig I'd ever met. "No." I said flatly.

"Oh come on." He said, reaching in his pocket and pulling out a deck of cards. He walked around me to the hood of the car and opened the deck, shuffling it. "One little peck on the cheek. And I'll go easy on you so you might have a chance of winning."

I was good at cards but I wasn't sure if I was good enough to beat him. Kyoya would love this car. But if I lost, Kyoya would be upset that I'd gambled like that. "No. I'm sorry."

The guy looked very determined to convince me. "Okay how does this sound beauty. You win, I'll give you this car for free. I win, I still sell the car to you but I get a kiss on the cheek and a picture."

"Just the kiss." I argued.

"Alright alright. Just the kiss."

"How do I know you'll keep your word."

"I'd never go back on a deal with an Ootori is involved. Five card draw?" He asked before passing me five cards. Picking them up, I looked at them carefully. Two aces, a two, a three and a four. I could keep the two aces or I could try for a straight. It was a far jump. Did I even have a chance going that way? I looked at his face. He looked deep in concentration. He placed down three cards before looking at me. I placed down one, feeling like an idiot. If I lost, Kyoya would be pissed.

"Okay I'm going to add something to the game Kenji." I said. "If I win, you also can't tell my boyfriend about what the game of poker would've won you. Just tell him I would have to give you money."

"And if I win, I still get that picture." Before I could argue with him, he handed me one card.

Sighing, I picked it up without looking. Okay. Here we go. If this card is a five or a joker, I have a straight. If it's a match to one of the cards in my hands, I have one pair. If it isn't either, I have nothing... Opening my eyes, I kept my face void of expression. Looking up at him, I saw that he was smirking. Oh boy... "Ready beauty?"

"Ready."

He placed down his cards. "Two pair. Kings and Queens. What you got?"

Smiling, I placed my cards down. "Straight. One, two, three, four, five."

He raised an eyebrow. "Good game beauty. The car's yours. I'll get the papers."

He went to the passenger side and reached in. I heard the dash open and he returned with a few papers. "Go find your boyfriend and give these to him. Meet me back here and I'll have what we need to sign."

I was suprised. I mean, I knew he made a promise but I had a horrible feeling he'd back out and take his car. "Really? Just like that?"

"Just like that. I want to meet that boyfriend of yours. Also, I havn't lost a game of poker in years. I'm impressed." He smirked and eyed the garage door. Turning around, I saw Kyoya giving me a confused look.

Feeling proud of my win, I ran and showed him the papers. "What's this?" He asked.

"I got you a free ferrari." He smiled.

His eyes widened. "A _free_ ferrari? How?"

"A lucky hand of cards." Kenji answered for me.

Kyoya looked at me with almost startled eyes. "You played cards with Kenji Ito?"

"I see I'm infamous." Kenji laughed before going to stand beside me. "She won fair and square. Deal was, if I won, I'd sell you the car for a ton of money."

"And if she won the car was free? It's a nice car. I'm suprised you'd risk it."

"I don't often lose." He admitted, his gaze on me telling me he was impressed.

"Tell me, what are you doing in Tokyo in the first place?" Kyoya asked him.

"I'm friends with Mr. Toru. I was gonna buy another car from his private collection. Looks like I'll really need it since I'm losing this car. You be good to my baby beauty." He told me before walking towards the door at the back of the garage.

"Beauty?" Kyoya asked, an eyebrow raised."

"He's a flirt." I shrugged. "Go check out your car. I see you eyeing it."

He smirked before walking past me. He circled the car once before opening it and taking a look inside. A second later, I heard the engine rumble. It sounded like a mountain lion's purr. The engine cut a minute later before he went to open the hood and check out the engine. "I will never consider you incapable of anything ever again Haruhi."

I smiled in victory. "Yeah, you owe me."


	22. A Package Deal

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE LAST CHAPTER. I HOPE THE LENGTH DIDN'T OVERWHELM ANYONE. WHEN I SAW THAT I'D TYPED OVER 7 THOUSAND WORDS, I WAS LIKE "O_o"**

**ALSO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE COMMENTS! :D THEY MAKE ME SMILE AND GIVE ME THAT PUSH I NEED TO UPDATE!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.**

**ENJOY! :D**

Haruhi's POV:

Kenji Ito stayed true to his word. Twenty minutes later, the papers were signed and Kyoya and I were driving away in the ferrari. We made a pitstop at the TDMV to get new license plates then we headed for my apartment complex to talk to the landlord about an apartment for Kyoya. It was already eleven o'clock now and I was starving but we needed to get everything settled before we worried about food.

When we walked into the complex's office, Mrs. Nito was watering the plants near the door. She smiled. "Good morning Haruhi. I love your hair today. Is it extentions?"

"Morning Mrs. Nito. This is my friend Shiro Takeyo. He's wanting to get an apartment here." I told her, ignoring her question. We needed to get right to business.

She smiled kindly at Kyoya. "Hello Mr. Takeyo. I recall seeing you visit Haruhi on occation. We've got only have one remaining one bedroom apartment left. It's on the second floor. I can show you if you'd like."

"Yes please." We both followed her out of the office and up a nearby flight of stairs. It was on the same side as my apartment but instead of being the fourth apartment over, it was the first. Mrs. Nito pulled a key out from her pocket and opened the door, letting us in. I didn't remember this one being available when my dad and I first came here. **(A/N: There's a picture of the living room on my profile. It'll give you an idea of how small but nice it looks.)**

The main room was a little larger than the main room of my own apartment. The hardwood floors looked newer and the far right wall had a built in desk that took up the whole wall. The entryway before the living room had a small built in dresser for storage. To the left of the door was the kitchen that was practically part of the living room with only the difference in flooring to show the seperation. The kitchen's tile flooring looked like it needed to be scrubbed but overall, it looked nice. There were two doors on the far left wall past the kitchen.

"It's small but it has a lot of storage space." Mrs. Nito explained. "The door just past the kitchen is the bathroom and the door right here leads to the bedroom. It's just a little smaller than the living room itself." She opened each door for us.

"Thank you." Kyoya smiled politely. "I'll take it. Can we sign the paperwork now?"

Mrs. Nito's eyes widened. "You're wanting it today? Right away? I'm not sure that's possible. I'll need a few days to look over your credit score and such."

"I think you'll find that my credit is impeccable Mrs. Nito. I already have all my information with me. I have the deposit and the first two month's rent with me today."

That really threw her off. I could tell she was torn between doing this the way she normally would or accepting Kyoya's offer. A few moments later, she sighed and nodded. "Alright. Let me get the contract. Would you like a six month or a 12 month contract."

"Six month please."

We all went back to the office then and I sat in a fold out chair near the door while Kyoya signed the paperwork. Even though all the paperwork had just been made, he didn't seem to need to even glance at the papers in his briefcase for the name, age, birthdate, social security number or anything. His memory is really impressive. When he finished the application and other various paperwork, he brought out his license and a few other documents from the bag and handed them to Mrs. Nito.

"Alright. It says here that your credit score is 770 and your monthly income is a little over two hundred thousand yen. With a credit score this high and income this good, I'm suprised you'd settle for an apartment like this. Nevertheless, let's get on with it. What school do you go to?"

"I graduated from Ouran Public High last year. As my license and birth certificate says, I'm nineteen." Kyoya said right away, his whole fake history already stored in his mind.

Mrs. Nito looked down at the papers again, mild suprise on her face. "Ah I see. Are you attending college?"

"Not currently. I will be this summer."

"Alright..." She mumbled, typing all the information into her computer. "And do you have anyone you'd like to put on the lease with you. Usually young renters such as yourself put a parent's name on the paperwork so if they are unable to pay the rent, the responsibility can be handled by their parents."

"My mother died when I was young, otherwise I would."

"Oh I'm sorry." She whispered. "And your father?"

"He's dead to me." Kyoya said coldly. I could tell by the absolute shock on Mrs. Nito's face that she was floored by his words. I was too. Even with knowing Mr. Ootori's fate. "I'll only have my name on the lease. I'm an adult. I know I can handle this."

Mrs. Nito nodded jerkily, typing more quickly now. She moved the mouse over something and clicked before standing and walking towards the printer near her desk. A few seconds later, she pulled a paper from the waiting slot. "Here's a copy of your lease. I'll go get the key for you."

She walked through a door near the printer, leaving Kyoya and I alone. He turned around and gave me an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry this is taking so long. We'll eat as soon as she gives me the key. After that, I hope you won't mind doing a little furniture shopping."

"Not at all" I shut up the second Mrs. Nito returned with the key. She handed it to him along with the documents she had made copies of earlier. As soon as Kyoya had them put up, we said our goodbyes and headed for his new car. It was beyond comical to see all the little old cars all over the parking lot, surounding a lone ferrari. We got in but Kyoya didn't take off at first. He sat there with his hands resting on the wheel, his shoulders sagging.

"I never wanted things to be this way Haruhi. I especially never wanted you to have to be you promise me something?"

His grave tone made me afraid of what he might say but I knew he'd be sad if I didn't promise. "Yes I promise."

"Stay at my apartment the night of the Ootori spring ball. Stay by your phone. Wait for my call. I'll call you sometime between midnight and thirty minutes after that. If I call in that time, that means things are fine. But if I don't... Then at 12:31, run home and pack your bags. Take the documents Ryo made for you and take a cab straight to the airport. Buy a ticket to Sapporo. I'll leave you with enough money to get the ticket and make a life for yourself. Don't contact anyone from Tokyo. If you wait there, I'll come for you. Promise me?"

I heard a sharp intake of breath. It took me a moment to realize it came from me. I spent several minutes calming myself down enough to speak. I'd never promise that. If he didn't call, I'd drive to the Ootori mansion myself and find him. But I didn't want him to know of such intentions... "Yes I promise."

"And don't worry about your father. I've thought about it and I've decided to call Ryo and ask for papers for him. I'll need a photograph to email to him. Find me one this evening."

I nodded, my mind whirling too much now for me to form a sentence at first. After several attempts of me moving my lips but no words coming out, I finally spoke. "I know you can do this."

He started the car and turned on the heat then. "I have to. Whether or not I can succeed is irrelevent. But let's not talk about it now. I remember passing a diner about a mile from here. We'll eat there."

A five minute drive later, we were parked in front of a diner I remembered going to about a month ago when my dad had a craving for pancakes at two in the morning. I put up with it the one time but I swore to him if he ever drug me out of bed for food like that again, I'd smother him in his sleep. It of those twenty-four hour places that served breakfast and lunch food all day long.

Kyoya took off his jacket and loosened his tie, undoing a button. Just as well. Wearing a full suit in a place like this is like screaming, 'I have a lot of money.' He pulled a hundred dollar bill from his briefcase before shoving it under the passenger seat of the ferrari. As we got out, he locked the doors and turned on the alarm. The beeping sound caused most of the people in the diner to stare out the window. We walked in and waited at the front counter.

Not even ten seconds later, we were shown to the table by a grandmotherly server and handed menus. Kyoya looked almost amused as he read the selections. A minute later, a bleach blonde haired girl about my age but taller came up with a pen and paper. "Hey, I'm Yuriko. I'll be your server today."

My eyes widened as recognition hit me. Yuriko went to middle school with me. We weren't in the same social circle so I never got to know her but one specific incident always made me wary of her.

_FLASHBACK_

_I was running down the hall, late for Mathematics class because a student in my last class had gotten the teacher mad enough to make us wait to leave two minutes after the bell rang. Just as I rounded the corner, I skidded to a stop. Yuriko from my music class was leaning against the wall a few feet in front of me, talking to a boy who's name I thought might be either Juro or Juru. Both turned to look at me, the boy with a friendly smile but Yuriko with an open glare._

_"Haruhi. What's up?" The boy asked. "Havn't talked to you since last semester when we had music class together."_

_I remembered him then. I really just wanted to get to class but I thought it would be rude to just keep running when I had already been confronted by someone wanting to talk. It did confuse me though. He was part of the popular crowd. He and I had been paired for a project last semester but we havn't talked since."Oh yeah. Hey Juro. I've been fine."_

_"Juro, come on. You said we'd go to the lot this hour and hang out." She grabbed his hand and tried dragging him away but he held his ground._

_"Just a second. I'll catch up with you." He told her before turning to me. "Hey did you hear about the optional field trip scheduled for this friday. All the slots are almost filled up and I was wondering if you'd want to be in my group. We'll be going to the aquarium then to some restaurant for lunch and then to the museum about five minutes from here."_

_I thought it through. I did still need to pick a painting to write my essay over in art. Going to the museum would give me the chance to choose one. "Sure. What group number?"_

_"Group E. Here, I'll help you sign up." _

_Before I could argue, he was sort of herding me towards the list that was taped up on a buletin board across the hall. Looking back at the waiting Yuriko, I saw the glare again. More than a glare, an absolutely lethal look that made me shiver and turn around. I didn't know why she was so mad. I was just signing up. And if I remembered corrently, she had a boyfriend too. I watched Juro sign me up in group E, right under his name. As I thanked him and began walking towards my class, I heard Yuriko say,_

_"Hey Juro, howabout you and I sit together on the trip. I'll sign up too."_

_"I'd like to and all but there are no more spots in group E. There's a spot in group B. Your boyfriend's in that group."_

_I felt bad then for taking the last spot. I'd no doubt be on Yuriko's bad list for a while. _

_END FLASHBACK_

I remembered the trip pretty well too. Juro and I hung out the whole time, talking about funny things that happened last semester in music class and what we planned to do after middle school. When I told him I wanted to go to Ouran Academy on scholarship if I were able to get it, he looked pretty amazed. When we returned from the trip, Yuriko started dating Juro and I got the message Yuriko was mentally sending out with every glare that I wasn't allowed to ever talk to him again. So I didn't.

Snapping back to reality, I mumbled that I'd like a Dr. Pepper. Kyoya ordered an iced tea. Yuriko paused before leaving, giving me a calculating stare. I looked down, hoping she wouldn't recognize me. "I think I remember you. Didn't we go to middle school together?"

"I'm not sure." I told her, focusing on my menu.

She smiled a thin, forced smile. "I'll be right back with your drinks." She glanced at Kyoya with what looked like a disbelieving look before turning around and walking back towards the kitchen.

As soon as she was gone, I turned to Kyoya to see that he was giving me a confused look. "She did not look happy at all to see you. Some sort of vendetta I don't know about?"

I shook me head. "It's nothing."

He laughed softly. "It didn't look like nothing."

"We just weren't part of the same social circle. I focused on my studies and she focused on creating a line. But that's only what I heard from rumors."

He raised an eyebrow. "A line?"

"Of guys. A perfectly formed line of guys from the same social circle but not the same clique so when she finished with one, she had to wait all of about ten seconds for another to take his place."

"And why does that give her reason to dislike you?"

"One of those guys she was lining up was my friend. Not really a friend even. More of an aquaintence." I trailed off. That's all I'd say on the matter. I could tell as I glanced over my menu that Kyoya looked possibly a little jealous.

Two minutes later, Yuriko returned with our drinks. Her disposition wasn't friendly at all. She was definately eyeing Kyoya though. I glared over my menu. "Here you are. I believe I remember you now. You're Haruhi Fugioka. Have you decided on what you want to order?"

"I'll take the number 1 platter. The one that comes with scambled egg, sausage, bacon and toast." Kyoya said quickly, saving me from having to respond to her having recognized me.

"Excelent choice. Right now, we're having a special on our breakfast platters. Order any and get a side of chocolate chip pancakes free." Her attention was taken completely by Kyoya then, a very familiar smile on her face. One I've seen a time too many of the female guests of the host club.

"Thank you, but I don't care for sweets." Kyoya said idly, giving me that conspiratory smile of his. "What would you like dear?"

I blushed. Dear? "Uh... I'll take the french toast platter."

Yuriko wrote the orders down before looking up and smiling a smile that vaguely hinted at alterier motives. I was almost positive now about her plan. She'd try to steal Kyoya as revenge for me talking to Juno. What a... "Will that be all?" She interupted my thoughts.

Kyoya nodded. A soon as Yuriko left, he turned to me and smirked. "With your permission, I'm going to lie my ass off and make her jealous. I don't like anyone who holds pointless grudges."

I couldn't say I was upset with this. The idea that Kyoya would help me finally get some revenge for forcing me to lose who could've possibly been a good friend was tempting. He glanced behind him at a row of little trinket machines that cost between a quarter and seventy-five cents. He got up quickly, eyeing the kitchen door Yuriko had gone in and reached in his pocket. A minute later, he returned to the table with his hands cupped. He opened them and let four different little trinket balls fall onto the table. They were all twenty-five cent rings. "Uh... what?"

"As of now and until we leave the diner, you're my feonce." His smirk was wider.

I felt my face flame. When I didn't move, Kyoya opened one of the balls and took the ring out before dumping all the containers into his pocket. He reached his hand out in my direction. I stared at it like an idiot. When I didn't hand him my hand, his smile began to fall. "Of course, if you don't want to I'd understand. It's honestly above us to do something like that isn't it?"

A laugh escaped my lips. "Honestly, no. Fancy private school and really complicated life or not, we're teenagers. Teenagers do stupid and funny stuff like this all the time." Putting my hand in his waiting hand, I let him slide the little silver ring with the fake but pretty good sized diamond on my ring finger. It was one of those nicer looking fake ones that must've cost about seventy-five cents. I moved it this way and that, letting the light catch it. Yeah, it looked pretty real. At least Yuriko would fall for it.

"Just don't scratch it on anything or the paint will chip." He warned me. As the Kitchen door swung open and Yuriko walked out with a tray, I pulled my hands under the table.

"Hello again. Here's your food" She said as she placed the plates from the tray on the table. Instead of leaving, she stood there for a second. "So tell me Haruhi, what have you been doing with yourself? Did you find a job after middle school?"

**(A/N: In Japan, going to high school is optional. By the time they complete middle school, they would've learned what we would learn by completing high school and then some. High school for them is basically as difficult as our college work no doubt.)**

"Actually, I recieved a scholarship to Ouran Academy where I finished high school early. It's where I met Kyoya." I trailed off then, knowing if I said another word, I'd end up saying something that told her I was lying. I wasn't a bad liar but I wasn't known for my consistancy on anything but my own stubborn opinion.

"Oh?" To say she looked suprised would be an understatement. She eyed us both now with a new expression. "So you're-"

"Engaged." Kyoya finished for her. He held his hand out to me and I placed my left hand in his. He showed her the ring and her eyes widened even more, if that were possible. I might've been imagining it, but I'm pretty sure I saw an old couple near our table laugh as they watched the scene. They must've seen Kyoya buy the little ring.

"Wow. That's really amazing." She sounded like she meant it.

"What about you Yuriko?" I asked, jerking my hand back. It's one thing to show Yuriko, it's another to hear someone right behind me whisper 'congradulations'.

She smiled that fake smile again. "Actually Juro and I started dating again about a month ago and we're talking about marriage too. A relative of his included him in their will so we're expecting a little fortune."

She obviously has no idea who Kyoya is and I wasn't about to tell her. Why give her another reason to try and take him? Before another word could be said, someone called her name from the kitchen. She turned her head in the direction then turned back a second later. "I should probably get back in the kitchen. I'll be back to check on how your meal in going soon."

She waved before walking away. Sighing in relief, I turned back to Kyoya. "Well that went better than expected."

"Yes." He sighed before unrolling his eating utensils from his napkin and digging right in to his food.

As we ate quietly for the first five minutes, my mind sifted through our day so far. First when Kyoya told me that Mr. Suzuki was bad news, then when Nori told me of all the times Kyoya ever went to see Ryo, then the worry when Kyoya asked for documents for me too, then of my promise that I'd never keep... I felt almost too sick to eat. Almost. Eating another few bites, I formed a question in my head. One I'd wanted to ask since we left Ryo's office.

"Kyoya?" I whispered. His eyes darted up, looking thoughtful.

"Yes?"

"How much of Nori's story did you hear?"

"Pretty much all of it. I'm not mad that he told you if that's what you're wondering."

"No not that... I just wanted your side of it. To know the reasoning."

He didn't speak at first. His eyes wavered, looking away from me and towards the window to my left. He took a deep breath and looked back at me. "The first time I went there, I was seven years old. My father had tried to leave on his own but I caught him at the door and asked to go with him. He finally agreed and we took off for downtown. The...the big scare my family had was this death threat. It was anonymous and we couldn't find its source but it went into very big detail on how my whole family would die and even the staff members.

"A lot of them quit when the rumors went around the house. Most of us thought it was a prank... until the fire. The letter had said that twenty-six of our staff would die in a fire in the east wing of the house. A week after we recieved it, there really was a fire in the east wing of the house, in the maid's quarters. The fire started near the door so it trapped them in. It was the third story so those who were brave enough to jump out the window died from the fall... Exactly twenty-six died..."

It took me a while to compose my thoughts. This news frightened me much more than I expected it to. After a minute, I spoke. "Did any other thing from the letter happen?"

"Yes. The note said that my father's lover would fall to her death. We figured it was talking about my mother so we kept her locked in one heavily guarded room for a while. Three weeks after the arival of the letter, my father's mistress went head first over the railing of the staircase because she had been drinking too much. At that point, my father ran to get the papers. We figured that whoever sent the letter was somehow getting in the house and planning for it all to happen. My siblings and I all were forced to carry around charms to ward off evil for months and we were each given a destination. If the culprit hadn't been found attempting to end my father's life, we wouldn't been on the run for years. He confessed to it all.

"We knew we found the right man when all the misfortune stopped. My mother tried leaving a few years later because she felt controled by my father. My two older brothers were exact mirror images of him so it was too late for them... Early one morning, she woke up my sister and I and took us to Ryo. She had heard my father talk of him. Eventually, my father did find us. He was very cold to us for a long time after that. Refusing to let any of us leave the house except for when my sister and I needed to go to school. Then I met Arisu. She gave me a reason to want to be here...

"When she died, I did try to leave. While I waited for the right time, I did a lot of thinking. Around that time, I met Tamaki. I spent awhile doing nothing but entertaining him as my father ordered." He stopped to smile to himself. "When I finally lost my temper with him and we were able to be real friends, I felt...hope. Like life wasn't going to go on being completely miserable. When Tamaki told me he wanted to start a Host club for our freshman year of high school, I decided to occupy all my thoughts and attention with it and finding a way to pull my father's medical company out from under him.

"It did keep me busy. A year later, when the club first took off, my father told me he wanted me to start the six month program that would allow me to graduate early. He had arranged for me to work as one of my brother's assistants. He promise that... if I worked hard, I'd someday be vice president. But...that wasn't enough for me. I've spent my whole life under the power of other people and I wanted more for myself. So I told my father that I wanted to finish high school the right way. He wasn't happy... He started with persuation and jumped right into bribing when he knew that just words would never work. And when that did not work either..."

He didn't have to finish. The mental image that Nori had put in my mind went right to the front of my mind. Kyoya with bruises on his face and all up his arms. When he spoke again, he startled me. His voice sounded pleased in a way, but tinged with desperation.

"I went to Ryo a few days after it happened. When he handed me the papers, showing me he'd already made them, I felt like I had been handed the greatest sort of power imaginable. One so great, it could even save me from my own father**. **I was one person. It would be easier for me to hide on my own, not having to worry about two women the way I did when my mother and sister went with me all that time ago. My sister was married, so she at least wasn't in the same house as my father, otherwise I would've taken her with me. My mother was too afraid to leave... She gave me a bag of money though and a few family heirlooms."

"Like what?" I asked.

"A gem. A rare onyx one that was given to her by her father when he went on a trip to South America. Some type of crystal that she believed brought good fortune. She thought it would hide me from the evil eye. The evil eye being my father..." He laughed a bitter laugh. "She also gave me a necklace that I was to give to the woman I finally settled down with in my new home. Whoever she was..."

"What did it look like?" I asked, curious.

Instead of responding, he reached across the table and ran his fingertips along my neck and down to my collarbone. I looked down and saw the pearl necklace glimmering. "If you had been paying attention the day we went to that shop in Kyoto, you would've seen me take the necklace from my pocket and plant it on the shelf you found it. I paid the clerk ten thousand yen to pretend to sell it to me. At the time, I knew that you detested expensive things and I figured you'd be much more willing to accept a little trinket from a secondhand store."

I was almost mad then. He'd tricked me. The necklace took on a new weight. Not just in sentimental value but in expense as well. "Why?" I asked. "Why give me something so valueable?"

His eyes bore into mine, a small, comical smile on his face. "Because the day before I was planning to flee the country, there you were. You walked right into the third music room with your wide, intuitive eyes. I knew almost right away that there was a girl underneath that boyish garb. I could see the shape of your face and your eyes... you were like the reincarnation of Arisu. I... I'll apologize for it now, my thoughts quickly went to ways of making you stay, no matter the costs...When you broke that vase, it was as if fate were telling me that this was my reason to stay...So I gave the papers back to Ryo."

"You stayed for me?" Even though Nori had told me as much, hearing it from Kyoya's own mouth made it all the more real.

"I did..." He said the words as if he were confessing a horrible sin. "I was... possessive of you. You were mine. That's how I saw it. When Tamaki started the whole 'daddy and daughter' nonsense, I knew that he was slowly coming to grips with his own feelings for you. I was angry but I couldn't show it. I continued to play along with his little fantasies, trying to make the game last longer. I knew when the game finally ended, he would want you in the same way I wanted you. When we went to the beach last year... when I had you on that bed, even with my earlier plan to just scare you into seeing Tamaki's side, what I wanted was so much worse...

"But I backed out. I might have changed my mind at any moment if Tamaki had not walked in. His first assumption on what had happened wasn't so far off what I had wanted. And a couple months later when you went to Karuizawa. When Tamaki, Honey senpai and the twins somehow got me to that expo, I was pissed... until I saw you there. That whole day, you showed me a different side to you. One I never thought I'd see. You claimed that I was the one showing my true colors when I helped that woman by telling her the pottery was fake but no...You were different. More so than I."

"How so?" I whispered, our food all but forgotten.

"For a while, I'd seen you show several emotions. I had seen happiness, sadness, annoyance... but never superiority. You knew how out of my element I felt and you spent that whole day bringing me down to size, making me feel like I'd be lost without your guidance. You were bold, straight forward, not afraid to tell me when I was wrong for doing something. I'd always known you for being a blunt person but I'd never felt so intimidated by you. I followed you like some lost lamb until we finally met up with the others.

"A month after our trip, I began to realize that you had unintentially formed a line for yourself. First with myself, then Tamaki, the Hikaru, then with Kassanoda. You have no idea how relieved I felt when his family moved out of the city. But that still left two more, both more suited for you that I could ever be." I wanted to argue over that but he raised a finger to my lips, silencing me. Dropped his hand and resting it on the side of my neck, he continued. "And then you repaid your debt. You were no longer tied to me in any way so I was sure you'd jump at the chance to leave...

"But you didn't. You wanted to stay and for the life of me, I couldn't understand why. I reasoned that you were staying because you'd formed ties with us that you didn't want to cut loose. I was... very please with that. I figured that as long as you were happy, you'd continue to stay. It was also a reasurance that you continued to create debt when we had to buy costumes for you or pay for your ticket to someplace or another. When Tamaki left, being promised by Éclair that he'd be taken to see his mother, I was torn. I knew that if he left, nothing would be there to stop me from winning your affections, if it were possible... But Tamaki's my best friend and I knew the right thing to do would be to bring him back and give up.

"When you brought him to us, I knew that I'd be exected to bow out. No one would notice... no one knew of my feelings. So imagine how suprised I was, after a year of working with you side by side, never getting a moment alone, to see that Tamaki still hadn't realized his feelings. He's foolish and dense, yes, but I never thought he could be that oblivious. I couldn't believe that someone like him would get to be with a woman like you. You deserve more than that...

"I was more suprised than you can imagine to see you in one of my family's hospitals so early in the morning. I had been there all night long, exhausted and overworked by my father so I do apologize again for sounding rude and unconcerned for your father's wellbeing. I ended up getting about an hour's ammount of sleep before needing to get ready for school. Being as exhausted as I was, I ended up yelling at Tamaki a lot during the day, and at one point, I slipped up and told him about seeing you at the hospital. He insisted we see you so we did. When Tamaki offered you money to pay for a new apartment, I was more pleased than I should've been. I jumped at the chance to add to your debt, to make you stay for just a little longer-"

"You didn't have to do that Kyoya." I interupted. "I would've stayed no matter what..."

His eyes were apologetic. "Yes, I know that. I think I always did. And regardless of what all happened to bring us to this point, we're here now. I do not have any desire to leave. Damn my family, I won't give you up. Not for Tamaki's happiness, not for my family's happiness. But... it is your decision... I will never force your to stay. Not anymore."

I'm sure we were making a scene right now but I didn't care. At least our voices were quiet enough that we couldn't be heard by anyone else. Leaning over the table, careful not to lean into my food, I kissed Kyoya firmly. He quickly returned it. We pulled a way a few seconds later, our breathing affected by the force of the kiss. "My decision is to stay. You can't force me to sit out anymore. If you go to your father's house that night to go through with your plan, I go too. We're a package deal from this point on."

He sighed and nodded. "Yes. But you will have to do exactly as I say so I can be assured that you'll stay safe. If you can go by those rules then that's exactly what we can be. A package deal.

"As long as those rules don't involve me being seperated from you, I'm fine with anything."

He smiled, making me smile as well. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear."


	23. Unexpected Guests

**I WAS PLEASED WITH THE REVIEWS SUMITTED FOR CHAPTER 22. :D I PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO THE INTIMATE TELLING OF KYOYA'S PAST AS HE TOLD HARUHI IN THE DINER. I'M GLAD YOU ALL LIKED IT. :P **

**ALSO, IF ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS OR WHATNOT, PLEASE SHARE THEM. :) THEY'LL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED AND CREDIT WILL BE GIVEN WHERE IT IS DUE.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.**

**ENJOY CHAPTER 23! **

Haruhi's POV:

Fifteen minutes later, we were walking out the diner's swinging doors. As we walked passed the window our booth had been next to, I saw Yuriko pick up Kyoya's ridiculously large tip from on top of a napkin. Her eyes shot up in suprise, looking much more appreciative that I thought she would. Kyoya made it to the car before me, already holding my door open for me. Taking my seat and buckling up, I started messing with the radio. By the time Kyoya took his own seat, I had picked a station.

He cringed for a second. "You like hip hop?"

"Only when I'm in a good mood." I smiled, feeling a lot more carefree than I've felt in a long time. Kyoya shrugged, accepting the answer and not changing the station.

We headed to a nearby furniture store next, a big list of things needed. It honestly didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would. Kyoya already had a mental image in mind of the things he wanted and he was quick to point things out so the employees would get them ready for purchase. He was unconcerned with his money spending as well. Nothing but the largest bed and the biggest screened tv would do for him. As soon as he purchassed his selection, we got in the car again and headed back to the apartment complex, a moving van following us.

Seeing the looks on my neighbor's faces when the 75' plasma screen tv was unloaded made me blush and try to hide my face in Kyoya's side. He seemed completely unaffected by all the attention we were recieving. He chuckled. "Relax. If it's too embarassing for you, go up to the apartment and supervise. I'll let you decide where everything goes."

I had to admit, I was up for that. When my dad and I first moved into this apartment complex, my dad ended up designing my room. Now was my chance to design Kyoya's place. All but running up the stairs, I nearly smacked into the front door that someone was closing. When they saw me, they opened it quickly, giving a little bow. The man looked sheepish. "Your friend is very rich. I've been working for that furniture store for the past ten years and to this day, I havn't seen anyone spend that much."

"Yes... He told me that I could supervise and direct the furniture placement. Where should I start?"

To my embarassment, one of the employees noticed the little ring I was still wearing and everyone began calling me Mrs. Takeyo. Anytime I tried to explain that we were only dating, Kyoya would put his finger to my lips, a smirk on his face. He was enjoying my embarassment way too much. When the furniture was put in the exact places I had pointed out, Kyoya paid the workers for their time and sent them on their way.

As the door shut, I saw Kyoya's posture change. I wasn't sure what the cause was exactly, but he almost seemed stressed. Possibly. "Alright. We have a list of things we can do right now. We can stay at the house for a bit and rest, we could go grocery shopping or... You could stay here for half an hour while I run an errand."

So that's why he's stressed. Not even a full two hours since our package deal declaration and he's already keeping a secret. "What's the errand?"

He didn't respond at first. Instead, he walked towards the window and started up at the sky. A minute later, he sighed. "I need to buy the poison... but I can't have you with me. If I fail and am apprehended, I don't want anyone knowing you had any part in this."

"No." I said right away. "I go too."

"The place I need to go Haruhi... there won't be nice people there like Nori and Ryo. I'm not risking it."

"Then I don't want you to go either." I whispered, walking up behind him and wrapping my arms around his waist. Resting my head on his back, I closed my eyes. "If it's that dangerous of a place, then we'll have to find a Plan B."

He placed both hands on my arms and wrapped them tighter around his stomach, holding me closer to him. "Like what? A different method?"

"No, it can still be poison. Just...maybe we could attempt a homemade poison. In chemistry, I learned how to create this harmless liquid that, when you add sugar to it, it makes a fast acting poison."

"And where would we find the suplies to make this harmless liquid?"

"I know a place. A store that sells lab suplies and chemicals to schools. But you'll need to intimidate them to get them to sell it to you. It's illegal for regular citizens to buy some of their chemicals."

"And how exactly do you know about this place?" He asked before turning around in my arms and wrapping his around me.

"Once in middle school, a teacher asked me to go to her car and get the box sitting in the passenger seat. The label gave the name of the store and what was in it. It's just a guess but I'm pretty sure we can find what we need there."

He looked deep in thought for a while. Finally, he let go of me and untangled my arms from his waist. He took my hand and started leading me towards the door. "Alright. We'll do our grocery shopping and then we'll stop by this place." He looked like he wanted to say more but he didn't. In fact, he was unusually silent until we had finished grocery shopping and pulled into a parking space at the chemical store. Just as I reached to open my door, he grabbed my arm. "What's the likihood of me convincing you to wait in the car for ten minutes?"

"None at all. Package deal. You should practice that." Getting my arm free, I opened the door and got out with him. Kyoya locked the car and activated the alarm as we walked towards the small store. When we first walked in the doors, Kyoya flinched. I wanted to but I wrinkled my nose and tried to hide my disgust. The whole place smelled like someone had spilled sewage onto the floor. A worried looking employee stopped for a second to explain that a new employee was trying to demonstrate some sort of simple lab experiment and it went horribly wrong. She led us to the back end of the store where the air smelled clean before running off again.

"Alright. Now do you know what chemicals you need?" He asked and I nodded. Looking at the directory list, I saw that everything was organized alphabetically. A few minutes later, we had everything we needed, all without having to go back into the stench.

The same girl who led us back here returned then to check on us. She seemed confused when she saw all the things in the little basket we had picked up. She looked through them for a moment. "I'm not at liberty to sell a couple of these to civilians. Do you have a purpose for these?"

Kyoya smiled his charming host smile. "Yes. My name is Shiro Takeyo and this is my student Miss. Hideko. She's my teaching assistant. I teach at Ouran Public High and I and Miss. Hideko have been sent by the principal, Mr. Mako, to pick up a set of suplies for a new expiriment. We originally had all twenty sets but one student ended up knocking everything right off the lab table. If you could also direct us to your beakers, it would be greatly appreciated."

The girl seemed in awe. She blushed and looked to the side. "Of course sir. Follow me."

I glared at Kyoya as soon as the girl's back was turned. Stupid flirt. The girl led us back into the stink zone and down an isle filled with all sorts of beakers. I began picking up the ones we used in the experiment in class and places them in the basket with the chemicals. When we finished the list, Kyoya asked if the girl would lead us to the register. And, of course, she was all too happy to. She didn't even ask to see any sort of identification. I sighed in relief when we walked into the cold, clean air. When we were safely in the ferrari, Kyoya laughed.

"Well that was fun." He said jokingly and I rolled my eyes.

"Let's just get the groceries back to the house. We have milk and it won't keep." I said a little more harshly than I had meant to. I couldn't help but feel jealous when he flirted with other girls, even if he was doing it to get something we needed.

When Kyoya and I first started going out, I was cautiously happy about the whole ordeal. I knew what kind women these men at Ouran would normally choose. Rich and defined. The type of girls that their fathers would approve of. Even now, with Kyoya and I basically vowing ourselves to one another, I still worry about the day when he needs to leave me and choose someone better suited for his lifestyle. So when I see him flirting with girls, all I can think about is how angry I am.

When we were parked back at the apartment, he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out quickly. I figured he was heading right for the back to get the groceries but he instead circled around the car and opened my door for me. He gave an almost bashful smile as he reached across and unbuckled me before I had a chance. Holding out his hand, he waited. I was reluctant at first, still a little miffed about the incident at the chemistry supply store.

His smile faltered slightly at first before going completely away a moment later. He sunk intil his knees were almost touching the ground, bringing himself to eye level with me. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. If it's worth anything, I'll promise never to do it again."

I sighed before crossing my arms, ignoring the still offered hand. He dropped it after a moment, letting it sit on my leg. "I really don't believe you." I finally said. "You do it everytime you want something and a girl is involved. I expect that kind of thing from the twins and from Tamaki but you? Aren't you famously known as the shadow king? You're more than capable of thinking yourself through any situation. Why flirt?"

His face was grim but his eyes showed me that he was processing my words. "You're right." He whispered. "And I'm sorry. Once again." The little smile that he gave me next softened my expression. He held out his hand to me again, a peace offering.

Unfolding my arms, I took his waiting hand. "Forgiven." Ripping his hand away, he pushed his arms under my knees and around my back before lifting me up swiftly. I squealed and grabbed onto his neck as he shut the car door with his foot. "Put my down!"

"Not yet." He told me as he walked right up the stairs to the second floor with me. He somehow balanced me in one arm long enough to pull the key from his pocket and unlock the apartment door. I barely had time to notice our oogling neighbors before Kyoya rushed right in. Placing me on my feet, he kissed my cheek and walked right back out the front door. I rolled my eyes. Dork.

He returned a moment later with his arms overloaded with the groceries we had bought. I helped him organize them in the fridge, amused that he didn't seem to know which items were supposed to go in the fridge and which items were supposed to go in the freezer. He held a jar of queso dip in his hand, examining the lable. "Does this taste good? I didn't pick it out."

"Yeah it tastes good. I wasn't sure what you'd like so I got a bunch of different things. I put some chips in the cabinet over there. Get them and we'll have some chips and dip. After a movie, we'll see about where to store the chemicals. They're all in their dry form so we don't need to refridgerate anything until after we mix them."

Kyoya looked like his thoughts were a million miles away. His gaze shifted to the bag with the chemistry supplies. "I'd like to talk about how we'll make the poison first if that's alright. If we fail with it, I'll need to go and get something from the people I told you about earlier."

I watched Kyoya grab the bag and spread the contents on the island counter. He was quick and precise in organizing everything. When he finished setting our supplies up, he turned to me with troubled eyes. "Kyoya?" I whispered. "Are you alright?"

He didn't respond at first. He took the time to remove his glasses and clean them with a cloth from his pocket. Putting them on, he seemed a lot calmer. When he spoke, he used the even, controled tone he uses when dealing with club guests. "I am. It's not exactly easy to do what I'm doing. If there was another way to handle him, I'd feel very relieved but..." He stopped. His eyes were troubled again. "Would you think me a murderer?"

I opened my mouth to speak but was unable to find the words. Would I? No. I don't think so. My only worry is what something like this would do to Kyoya. Putting something so big on a teenager's shoulders... "No Kyoya. Not at all."

He studied my face for a while but eventually nodded, telling me that he believed me. Turning towards the counter, we set to work.

_LATER_

It took a few attempts but we finally created the mixture properly once we did a little research online. Using a quick chemical test to check to see if it was poison, we filled a plastic baggie halfway with water and put the beaker in it before carefully sitting it in the back of the fridge. As we stood in his kitchen, staring at the fridge, we heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Haruhi! Daddy came home early! And I've brought some friends of yours! They met me at the entrance of the complex. Open the door!" My dad called from about ten feet away. He must be standing in front of our apartment. Walking past Kyoya, I gave him a loaded glance.

"Should the guys know that you live here?" I whispered? "It sounds like they're all here."

They were. I could hear the twins, Tamaki and Honey senpai. That means that Mori senpai is here too since he follows Honey senpai everywhere. Kyoya looked thoughtful. "Why not?"

Giving him a half smile, I opened the door and took a few steps out the door. "Hey dad. I'm in Kyoya's apartment, helping him organize furniture."

My dad's eyes lit up like fireworks. "Oh! He got the apartment? May I see it?" He yelled, not even bothering to wait for an answer before running right over.

Kyoya stepped out too and stood behind me. "Of course Ranka. Your welcome to look and even make alterations as you see fit. Everyone in please." He was being rather hospitible at the moment. Even to Tamaki who he had been on shaky ground with after Niigata. He must be cautious of the very weird stares we were getting from all the hosts. The twins specifically. Kaoru looked curious but Hikaru looked suspicious.

As everyone piled into the apartment, I moved through the crowd of men to get the chips and sauce from the kitchen. My dad was quick to discuss furniture placement with Kyoya. Aparently, the position the sofa was in was creating negative energy in the living room. I was just about to pick up the serving platter when I felt two sets of arms snake around me. I glared at the wall in front of me. "What do you want?"

"We're just curious about why Kyoya moved here. With the money he's got, you'd think he'd get a nicer apartment in a nicer complex. Not that this place is bad or anything." Kaoru said before reaching forward and taking a chip.

"Speak for yourself." Hikaru mumbled, his mouth already full of food. He eyed the kitchen like it was the ugliest thing he'd ever seen.

"Why don't you ask him. It was his decision." I told them before shrugging out of their hug with the snacks. The second I sat it on the coffee table, I was swarmed. Fighting my way back to the kitchen, I went to get something for everyone to drink. Unfortunately, the twins followed me.

"We just asked him." Hikaru said. "He said he did it to be near you. We think he's lying."

"Tell us the truth." Kaoru said, staring me down, trying to intimidate me into telling them more. It wasn't even remotely working. Rolling my eyes, I turned my back on them.

"It is the truth."

"We believe that part of his reasoning was to be near you, we just want to know what his other reasons were." Hikaru and Kaoru said in unison.

I bit my lip as I tried to get the soda out without letting the twins see into the fridge. If they saw the chemicals, there would be a mountain of questions. I silently thanked God that we remembered to clean up the other supplies and either throw them away or store them if we couldn't. "He just wanted some time away from home. End of story. Okay?"

They both frowned. "Fine." Was their final response before running back to the living room.

I didn't sigh in relief yet. I knew that they'd push the matter later on when there wasn't anyone around that could possibly intervene.

Haruhi! Come give daddy a hug!" My dad called and I went to join everyone else.

It took a few hours to get the host club to go home and an hour more than that to get my dad to return to our apartment as soon as I promised to return home before sunset. Just as I was about to go and wash the dishes, the doorbell rang. I sighed. "Sorry. It's probably my dad again." I told Kyoya, who was looking out a window in the living room. Reaching the door, I unlocked it and swung it right open.

I gasped. "Hello Haruhi Fugioka. I want to talk to my son."


	24. Fuyumi

**FIRST OFF, I JUST WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR HOW LONG IT TOOK ME TO POST THE LAST CHAPTER. I ENDED UP GETTING SICK OVER CHRISTMAS AND THEN I SPENT NEW YEARS AT SOMEONE ELSE'S HOUSE SO I DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME OR THE WILL TO UPDATE. :/ STILL NOT A VERY GOOD EXCUSE BUT I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE ALL AWESOME AND ALWAYS UNDERSTAND.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. ENJOY!**

Haruhi's POV:

_I gasped. "Hello Haruhi Fugioka. I want to talk to my son."_

Standing before me was none other than Mrs. Ootori. Her dark eyes were intense as she stared at me. They darted to the side to look past me, into the apartment. She pulled her black fur coat more tightly around her shoulders. Stepping aside, I wordlessly watched as she walked inside. I glanced nervously at Kyoya. He looked concerned but not suprised like I was. I shut the front door quietly before going to stand near the kitchen bar, a few feet behind and to the left of Mrs. Ootori.

"Mother, what are you doing here? How did you find me?" He took a few careful steps toward her until they were standing five feet apart.

"Ryo called me. He tracked you down using the name he gave you. He wanted to give me warning so I could help lie for you if necessary. Although I must give you credit for finding this place. Your father really would never think to look here."

Kyoya winced. "I didn't want you to have to know. Ignorance can be bliss when it concerns my father. Does he know I'm gone?"

"No not yet. He still thinks you're in Niigata with your friends. You never had to run away. I wouldn't have let him hurt you." Her voice sounded almost angry.

"You would've tried to protect me... but has it ever worked?" He whispered.

A long, very painful silence filled the room then. When his mother spoke again, she sounded resigned. "What is the plan then? Have you even thought of one? You havn't even left the city."

"I don't need to. As far as my plan..." He didn't continue.

Mrs. Ootori sighed after a few seconds. "Yes, I know. Ignorance is bliss. Is it very bad?"

Kyoya removed his glasses and folded them before placing them in his front pocket. His eyes were so full of emotion, I felt instantly embarassed to be a witness to such a private moment between he and his mother. Kyoya closed the distance between he and his mother and hugged her tightly. Mrs. Ootori put her arms around him and hugged him back. Kyoya spoke so softly, I had to strain to hear. "Do you love him still? I don't want to cause you any pain."

She responded a second later. "I do not. How could I love a man who's heart is like ice? If your intentions are to rid the world of him, I won't say that I approve. Murder shouldn't be the answer... But I'm not a stupid woman. I know when all other options are pointless. I don't want to know how or when you'll do this. Just do it soon. Before I lose a son."

Kyoya let go of all of her but her shoulders. "You don't need to worry. But I do have just a single favor to ask of you. On the first night of the Spring Ball, please watch over Haruhi. Don't let her leave your sight." Kyoya looked past her to me. He held an arm out for me and I slowly went to stand beside him. He hugged me to his side, letting me finally see his mother's face since the beginning of their conversation. She smiled at me kindly, the light in it reaching her eyes.

"Of course. No amount of kindness will repay you for keeping my son with me." She took a step forward and hugged me tightly. I hugged her back, leaning in to her embrace. It was like being held by my mother. The memories are vague but they still linger... Before I could start to get sad, a tall woman with curly dark hair wearing a green dress and white sweater opened the door and walked right in. I gasped. Her eyes were exactly like Kyoya's. Mrs. Ootori let go and turned around. "Oh yes. I brought your sister Kyoya. She insisted on seeing you. She also insisted on meeting Haruhi"

"Fuyumi." Kyoya said in greeting, his voice sounding much lighter now.

"Haruhi!" She yelled before running to crush me with a hug. "It's so wonderful to meet you finally!"

"Hi." I gasped, trying to breathe in her python tight grip.

She let go before I could turn blue, her serene face holding a smile. "You look different than the way Kyoya described you. It must be the wig. It's a wig right?"

I nodded, feeling sheepish. I realized why Kyoya's voice had instantly went from heavy to light when his sister arrived. She had a way of lighting a room right up. Serene enough to make you feel relaxed and hyper enough to make you laugh. "Fuyumi, why exactly are you in town? Is your husband still in Okinawa?" Kyoya asked.

"No we both came to Tokyo early to spend some time with the family before the Spring Ball starts. Speaking of which, I call dibs on dressing Haruhi up. I've got a million places I've got to take her. I wonder if I brought enough money. I'm sure you won't mind giving me access to a little more Kyoya." She continued to babble on like that for sometime. I repressed the urge to groan. I hate shopping.

Thankfully, Kyoya cut her off after a minute. "That's all fine and well. Feel free to pick her up anytime you'd like tomorrow. But the sun is almost down and Haruhi needs to get home to her father. She lives a couple doors down."

Fuyumi nodded. "I'll walk her! I'd like to meet her father!" She linked her arm with mine and started dragging me towards the door. "Kyoya tells me he's a transvestite. How exciting. I've never met one before."

Feeling a bit dazed, I let the overexcited woman drag me back home. When my father answered the door, still in his women's clothes, Fuyumi jumped right in to introduce herself. It was almost funny. Their personalities are so alike. My father went right into a conversation about the life of a trannie as he made tea for his guest, both obviously forgetting I was there.

I was about to walk right past them and take a shower but a strong hand clamped down on my shoulder. Jumping, I turned around to see Kyoya. He had put his glasses back on. "The sun won't officially go down for fifteen minutes. Would you like to go take a walk near the koi pond?"

I nodded before taking his offered hand and walking down the stairs with him. Glancing behind me, I saw that his mother was standing in the doorway of my apartment. "Fuyumi. We need to get back before your father gets suspicious." She said.

Looking back at Kyoya, I tried to imagine what he could be thinking. He looked content enough but that told me little. We stopped as soon as we reaching the koi pond next to the side of the building our apartments were in. At first, we just stared at the fish. Some yellow, some orange, some black and some white. The ones that interested me the most were the two ones with a rainbow of colors on their scaled bodies.

Taking Kyoya's relaxed posture as a good sign, I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned into him. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better." He said softly before wrapping his arms around me too. "I was actually wanting to ask you a question."

Looking up at him curiously, I raised an eyebrow. "Alright? Shoot."

"Every year, I invite Tamaki to the Spring Ball. Last year, there were some complications and the ball was canceled but this year, all the hosts are supposed to be attending. Even though I'd rather they not be there considering that people will hear that there's been a murder-"

"Actually," I began, interupting him. "Unless they do an autopsy, no one will realize he was poisoned. The chemical combination is supposed to trigger a heart attack, making it look like the person has died of natural causes. It's also fast moving. Since the body will release all the fluid in his bladder upon his death and it takes about five minutes for it to activate itself, he'll empty his body of almost all traces of the poison. Still, an autopsy would show some still left and there'd be an investigation."

"As far as fearing an autopsy, I doubt that they'd assume that anyone would try to kill him. If it appears that he's died of a heart attack, then its all fine. Is it going to kill him though for sure?"

"The site I looked at says that it's seventy-six percent affective. There's a twenty-four percent chance that it'll trigger a heart attack and just leave him very weak. But it's worth a shot. Also consider that its one of the only poisons that has a fifty-two percent chance of going undetected in the event of an autopsy. As long as they don't cut open his bladder or large intestine to examine, they shouldn't find it. It's colorless and oderless and disolves best in stronger substances like alcohol."

"Getting my father to drink shouldn't be a problem." He said with bitter humor.

Wanting to change the subject, I thought for something to say. "Uh, what was that question you had for me?"

He looked towards the koi pond again. "I want them to be there in a way so that their absence doesn't raise suspicions from anyone if people find out it wasn't really a heart attack. So would you mind keeping them with you and making sure none of them try to run off and look for me?"

I sighed. It wouldn't be easy to keep them all under control but I'd try. "Sure. No problem."

Taking a few steps to the right of the pond, I followed a yellow butterfly underneath the branches of a weeping willow. It rested on the trunk of the tree for a moment before flying away. I heard the branches rustle behind me, telling me that Kyoya had joined me under the tree. "You know what I havn't gotten to do in quite a while Haruhi?" He said casually, humor in his voice and eyes.

"What would that be?" I asked, curious. Turning to him, I walked over and wrapped my arms around his waist again.

"This." And then he crashed his lips into mine. His arms wrapped around me and hoisted me up until my feet were dangling. Manouvering my arms, I snaked them around his neck to keep myself in the air. One of his arms lowered to my thighs and lifted up until I was just sitting on the forearm of his right arm. As his tongue traced my bottom lip, my fingers knotted into his hair and pulled him closer.

I lost complete track of time. All I knew was that the sun was down and the night was beginning to get chilly by the time we pulled apart for air. My lips felt swollen. Reaching up, I traced them with my fingers. Kyoya slowly lowered me back down to my feet but still kept his arms around me. I sighed in contentment. "You havn't kissed me in a long time?" I asked breathlessly, trying to clarify.

"I havn't kissed you like that in a long time." He told me with a smirk. I couldn't complain. Passion is one thing that Kyoya can show that I can't get enough of. Resting my forehead against his chest, I waited for my breathing to return to normal.

"We should probably get back upstairs. My dad will be really upset. It's already dark." Pulling away from Kyoya, I took his hand and led him back up the stairs this time. I hope that our little makeout didn't leave me looking disheveled. That's one story I didn't want to explain to my father.

Thankfully, he wasn't angry at all when I showed up a few minutes after dark. He was sitting on the couch, enjoying his favorite movie, a smile on his face. "Your sister is just the sweetest thing Kyoya. She's going to take Haruhi shopping tomorrow at ten. Are you going to stay for dinner? I'm sure Haruhi would love to cook us all a nice meal."

I'm sure Kyoya would have politely declined if he had been able to return to his real home for a mansion. But I wasn't sure at all if Kyoya could even cook so I encouraged him to stay. After a moment's thought, he finally took a seat on the couch beside my dad while I pulled out the ingrediants for _Tonkatsu_ and _Tsukemono_. **(A/N: Tonkatsu is deep fried pork cutlets on a bed of fried rice. They are eating it with Tsukemono which is a side dish of Japanese pickles.)**

When the aroma of the _Tonkatsu _reached the noses of the two men sitting in the living room, both ignored the tv and went to sit at the bar stools while I cooked. Rolling my eyes, I allowed them to sample the nearly done food. Kyoya looked like he enjoyed the meal a lot. It made me smile. He probably isn't used to eating anything less than the fanciest dishes. I usually only made _Tonkatsu _when we had company and were trying to impress. That usually meant a visit from one of my father's clients.

As Kyoya helped me wash, dry and put away all the dishes, my father continued to sit at the bar, an almost awkward look on his face. The face that he was staring at the counter with grim eyes told me that whatever he was about to say to us was weighing heavily on his mind. As soon as the final dish was put in the cabinet, my father cleared his throat. "Before you go Kyoya, may I have a word with you two?"

We both gave eachother a nervous glance before following my dad into the living room. We sat next to eachother on the couch while my father drug an armchair from the corner of the room and positioned it about three feet away from us. Giving us both heavy stares, he finally began to explain his seriousness.

"I've been thinking for a while about something and I want you to both hear me out. You've been dating for a while and I can tell that you're very serious about one another. I want to know that you both are being... safe. I'd rather not be a grandparent just yet. I'm much too young for that." He was adding in some humor to put us at ease.

I shook my head, unable to stop the blush. "Dad, you've got nothing to worry about. We aren't... doing any of _that_ stuff."

"I've got nothing but the highest respect for your daughter Ranka. I'd never take advantage of your trust."

My father eyed us both, looking for any sign of falsehood in our words. When he was sure we were telling the truth, that smile of his lit up his face. "I must say, that's really a relief. Regardless, I want you to take this Haruhi."

My father stood up and walked into the hallway. He returned a minute later with a box. Handing it to me, he sat and waited. I eyed it carefully. When I realized what it was, my face lit up in embarassment all over again. "Dad... really, I don't need birth control."

He shook his head, his eyes telling me that he wouldn't be swayed. "I'm insisting on this. There are several benefits to taking birth control Haruhi. Not just to prevent pregnancy. Go ahead and take it, follow the instructions. I'm insisting." My father stood up and pulled the chair back to its place. "I'm going to head off to bed deary. Say your goodbyes for the night and get ready for bed. Fuyumi will be here bright and early to have breakfast with us and take you shopping."

Rolling my eyes, I gave a nervous glance in Kyoya's direction. He was looking at the box in my hands with a thoughtful expression. He lifted his gaze to my face then. "It's not a bad idea." Is all he said before standing and helping me to my feet.

I walked him to the door. He stopped long enough to kiss me and tell me not to worry too much about what the next few days would hold. "I promise I'll take care of it. Sleep now." Not even waiting for my response, he walked out the door and shut it for me.

After locking the door, I leaned against it and sighed. I'm scared for him... What if everything fails? Losing him wasn't an option. But in spite of my fears, his words did reasure me. Getting ready for bed, I went right to sleep.


	25. Spring Ball

**HI! I JUST WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR TAKING SO LONG TO UPDATE. I ENDED UP STARTING ANOTHER OURAN STORY WITH A DIFFERENT SORT OF TWIST. I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'LL LIKE IT BUT I'D BE HONORED IF YOU CHECKED IT OUT. ITS CALLED 'ROSES AND RAINSTORMS'. **

**I'M REALLY NEEDING YOUR GUY'S HELP. I HAVE LITTLE IDEA OF WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH THIS STORY. ITS GETTING TEDIOUS WHICH IS UNDERSTANDABLE AFTER WRITING 24 CHAPTERS SO FAR. A LITTLE PUSH WOULD BE GREAT. :)**

**DISCLAIMER: YADA YADA. YOU KNOW I DON'T OWN OHSHC. :( WISH I DID THOUGH.**

**ENJOY!**

Haruhi's POV:

"More champayne Mrs. Ootori?" A butler asked again before refilling Kyoya's mother's cup. I sighed, feeling like an idiot in this gown. It was a deep shade of blue, strapless and form fitting. A thick line of what looked like real diamonds were sewn right on to the part of the dress bellow the chest. I had a wig on that was done up in an elaborate bun on the top of my head with little wisps of hair hanging to frame my face. Mrs. Ootori walked gracefully beside me through the Spring ball wearing a golden gown that trailed behind her. Her hair was done up similarly but she were a tiara in her hair. **(A/N: You can find pictures of both Haruhi's dress and Mrs. Ootori's dress on my profile. :D)**

For the past hour, I had been following her around as she greeted all the guests. The only time I left her side was to say hi to the host club when each of them arrived. After talking with each of them for a few minutes, they'd wonder off towards the food or to talk with people they knew. The only host I was desperate to see though, was Kyoya. I had been secretly looking for him in the crowd for the past forty-five minutes and I could never catch sight of him. It made me practically shake with fear. What was happening? He was supposed to be back by now.

I remembered all too well the look on Mr. Ootori's face when Kyoya and I showed up together for the ball. His father acted kind but his eyes told me how angry he was to see us together. He couldn't even make a scene because guests were already arriving at the time. Before Kyoya and I could safely get away though, Mr. Ootori took his son's arm and told him he wanted to speak to him privately.

_FLASHBACK_

_Kyoya looked at his father, his eyes calculating, as if processing his request. After a second of hesitation, his father's face changed to a reddish shade, showing his anger ever so slightly. Kyoya nodded his head. "I'll be right with you. Let me take Haruhi to my mother. They can enjoy the ball together."_

_Mr. Ootori looked at me with open hostility. "Very well." Turning on his heal, he left us alone in the foyer. We watched the dancing quests flutter by in the next room for a moment. I could see Mrs. Ootori speaking with somebody near the arch. Fear was tightly gripping me. I looked at Kyoya with wide eyes._

_"I expect to see you again in an hour or less." I ordered. "Don't take any longer."_

_He smiled sadly. "I promise. Don't worry yourself. Everything will be fine." His words would have reasured me if there wasn't so much fear in his eyes. Grabbing his shoulders, I pulled his down and crashed my lips into his. His imediately responded by lifting me up and holding me in his arms. We were probably making a scene but I didn't care. We pulled away for air, our faces slightly flushed. That kiss was filled with more saddness then I could bear. It felt like... he was saying goodbye._

_I glared at him as his put me back down, my hands still digging into his shoulders. "One hour or less. I mean it." I refuse to lose him. "If you aren't back by then, I'm going to go looking for you."_

_His eyes looked pained. "I'll try to be back by then. Please. Stay with my mother." Without waiting for my response, he took my hand and rushed me to the arch. His mother looked at us, her eyes going from worried to fearful. She rushed forward and gently guided me to her side. His mother hugged him tightly for a moment. _

_"Be careful."_

_"I will." He whispered. He gave me one more longing look before turning and walking in the direction his father had left. _

_"Kyoya!" I called, unable to help it. He turned around, his eyes still pained. Running to him, I wrapped my arms around his waist. "I love you."_

_He hugged me back, one hand resting on my back and the other on the back of my head. "I love you too. Please don't leave the ballroom. Never go off on your own. Promise me."_

_"I promise." And I'd keep that promise unless I thought he was in danger. He left then, leaving me with a feeling of extreme emptyness. He better come back... I can't stand it... I can't lose anyone else... _

_"Haruhi dear. This way." His mother said softly. She took my arm and linked it with hers. We walked back to the waiting party guests with faux smiles on our ash colored faces._

_END FLASHBACK_

I sighed and looked at Mrs. Ootori with troubled eyes. "It's been an hour." I whispered.

"I know. Just give it a little more time." I could tell she wanted to run off and look for her son too but if we ran off in a panic, it would alert the guests. I glanced around the room again and caught sight of Fuyumi walking into the room with a man on her arm. Her husband no doubt.

Before I could go completely insane, I finally saw him. Pointing in his direction, it put both me and Mrs. Ootori at ease. He was walking towards the large stage with his father. Kyoya's two other brothers were already up there. Once on the stage, Kyoya took his place beside his brothers and his father went to stand behind a podeum. Even from this distance, I could see the bruising on one of Kyoya's brother's faces. It must be the second eldest who was nearly beaten to death. "Welcome!" He said, the noise echoing off the room and silencing everyone. "It's been a cold winter but spring has finally arrived. I hope everyone is enjoying the ball. Before we proceed with the festivities, I have an announcement to make."

He paused and murmurs filled the room, everyone was curious. Mr. Ootori smiled and spoke again. "As you all know, I am not as young as I used to be and it is with that knowledge that I try my best to provide for my family and leave a legacy for my children." He gestered towards his sons. "For my three sons, Ichiro, Jiro and Kyoya, I have set high expectations and each of them has exceded them. Regardless, only one has stood above the rest. Today, I announce who will take over my empire."

He paused as applause filled the room. I applauded too, wishing that I could run up and drag Kyoya off that stage so we could run away from here. I had such a horrible feeling that I couldn't explain. When the noise died down, Mr. Ootori continued. "So it is with gread pleasure that I bequeathe my medical company and all smaller businesses to my eldest son Ichiro." The room filled with applause again. I couldn't believe it. He was leaving everyting to his eldest. What was he leaving for his other children?

He raised both hands and the room went silent. "And before we continue with our evening, let me make a final announcement..." He paused and motioned to his sons again. "My two youngest sons, Jiro and Kyoya, have requested that they be excused from the public eye. This will be their final appearance before both retire to the countryside. Please make your goodbyes brief. Thank you."

Several things happened at once. First, a shot was fired from somewhere in the room. Kyoya's father, who had been trying to walk off the stage, paused. His knees buckled and he fell down the stairs. I screamed but it was drowned out in the chorus of screams that began to fill the room. Before anyone could move to help him, another three shots were fired. My heart stopped. Not only did Ichiro fall to his knees... but so did Kyoya. Jiro's face twisted in horror as both his brothers fell to the ground. N- no... "Kyoya!" I screamed but the panic was so loud around me, I couldn't even hear myself speak.

As everyone in the room ran for the exit, I ran for the state. Fighting, clawing my way past everyone around me, I tried with all my might to make it but the crowd wouldn't let me through. My wig fell off as I tried to duck under someone's arm. Looking around the room frantically, I saw two police officers wrestle a man to the ground and pull a gun from his hands. I was finally able to get out of the crowd when I was almost to the arch that led to the foyer. A few on hand doctors were already leaning over the three bodies.

"Kyoya!" I yelled again, my scream echoing off the room. All the guests had made it outside, their yells of fright now sounding far away. A couple police officers rushed to me. I could tell right away by the logo on their uniforms that they were from the Ootori family's private police squad.

"Miss, you can't be here. We need to escort you out." One said.

I fought against their holds on my arms. "No! Please! Kyoya! He's my feonce!" I cried, tears streaming down their face. I could already hear several ambulence sirens outside.

The police stopped and stared at me with wide eyes. "You are master Kyoya's feonce?"

I nodded, trying not to blush and give myself away. "I am. Please... Tell me he's alright."

I wasn't sure if they believed me. I was greatful when Mrs. Ootori ran into the room and rushed right to my side. One of the police officers looked to her. "Mrs. Ootori. Is this woman your son's feonce?"

She looked at me. "Yes sir, this is Haruhi Fugioka. She's engaged to Kyoya."

The officers released me. Mrs. Ootori pulled me into her arms like my mother would when I was scared. The doctor leaning over Kyoya. looked at Mrs. Ootori. "Kyoya's alive but I don't know if he's going to make it."

"My husband..." She whispered. "And Ichiro? How are they?"

The stretchers were brought in then. Kyoya was placed on one and wheeled out. The doctor that had been checking on Mr. Ootori rushed to us and escorted us from the room. He gestered for us to sit on the blue sofa in the foyer. "I'm sorry... Yoshio and Ichiro did not make it."

I heard Mrs. Ootori make a choking sound. Wide eyed, I turned to her and patted her back, afraid she might be having trouble breathing. She leaned to the side, dry heaving for a moment before slumping onto the sofa. She had passed out. The doctor gave me a simpathetic look. I didn't know what to do. I could barely move, barely think. Was Kyoya going to make it? I felt like passing out myself.

A minute later, Mrs. Ootori came to. It took her a moment to organize her thoughts. When she had finally placed everything together, she really did throw up. When the green color on her face left, she looked to me. "I want to see my son." She whispered. I looked towards the doctor.

"Has the ambulences left yet?"

He nodded. "We can have a car take you to the hospital." I nodded and the doctor went to inform someone. A few minutes later, the doctor returned. "The car is waiting out front."

I looked at Mrs. Ootori, wondering if she could make the trip. She looked so frail. She might pass out again on the way. She nodded and I gently helped her up. When we were safely buckled in the car, she turned to me. She took a deep shuttering breath. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She shook her head and looked away.

We arrived at the same hospital I had taken my father to the day the ceiling in the old apartment flooded. As Mrs. Ootori and I exited the car, I saw Kyoya on the stretcher as they rushed him inside. Sadly, two more covered stretchers were pushed in much slower, signifying that the people on them had died. It took us a long time to make it to the doors. Mrs. Ootori stumbled and leaned on me for support, her strength gone.

The doctors in the waiting room rushed forward right away to help us out. We were escorted to a private waiting room where Mrs. Ootori was able to lay down on a chaise. Before a nurse who had just brought us water could leave, I grabbed her sleeve. "Wait. Kyoya Ootori. The patient that just arrived. Where is he?" I asked, desperate.

She turned slightly, her eyes simpathetic. "He's undergoing surgury. They're trying to remove the bullet without damaging any vital organs. I'm sorry. I'm not allowed to tell you anything else." She bowed before breaking my hold on her coat and left.

My legs buckled under me. Kneeling on the tile floor, I wrapped my arms around myself. "Why is this happening?" I whispered.

The voice I heard next brought some comfort to me. "Haruhi!" Looking up, I saw Tamaki, Hikaru, Kaoru, Honey senpai and Mori senpai running for the private waiting room. Tamaki was the first to reach me. He picked me up and spun me around the room, knocking the breath right out of me. "Haruhi! You're alive! I was so scared!"

"Tamaki? How did you guys know where I was?"

"Well after the gunshots, we ended up getting pushed from the room by the mob of people. After everything calmed down, we ran back in and was told by a doctor that you and Kyoya's mom had followed the ambulence to the hospital." Hikaru explained.

"So we followed you guys!" Honey senpai chimed in.

Staring at their worried, anxious faces did nothing to make me forget why I was here. I crumbled in Tamaki's arms. "The doctors don't know if he's going to make it..." I whispered.

There was complete silence for a long time. By the time I had pulled myself together, Tamaki was already caving in on us all. He sunk to the floor, taking me with him. A second later, I felt two sets of arms circle around Tamaki and me, then two more sets of arms. All six of us kneeled on the floor together, hoping... praying... desperately searching for something to hold on to. If Kyoya died, so would I. So would Tamaki. So would all of us. The host club wasn't just a club. We were a family. If one of us fell, so did the rest of us...

Approaching footsteps broke us all out of our moment. We warily looked up. A doctor stood in the doorway, his face worn with worry. He nodded. "Master Kyoya is going to be alright. It will take some time for him to completely heal so we cannot release him from the hospital for two to three days at the earliest."

A collective sigh filled the room. Before another word could be said, we heard someone running for the room in high healed shoes. Fuyumi burst in. "Where is my brother?"

I pulled myself from the group huddle and hugged Fuyumi. Her eyes looked so scared. "He's alright. The doctor says he just woke up."

At this news, she calmed down considerably. "Oh thank God... what's wrong with my mother?" She asked, her eyes now on the sleeping woman.

"She fainted."

Fuyumi rushed to her mother's side. "Mother? Are you alright?"

Mrs. Ootori groaned. "Oh..." She was silent again, her mind racing for the reason why she was asleep in a hospital. When she pieced it together, she shot upright in her seat. "Kyoya! Where is he?"

"He's alright mom." Fuyumi reasured her. She turned to me, her eyes greatful. "Thank you for taking care of my mother."

The doctor interupted. "If you would like to go see him, we can permit people to visit two at a time. Family first."

Fuyumi and Mrs. Ootori stood up together, Fuyumi supporting her mother's weight. I sunk into a nearby chair, anxious for my turn to see him. Ten minutes later, they returned with the doctor. "Kyoya's feonce and one other visitor may go next." The doctor said.

My face lit up when every host turned to stare at me. Standing up, I looked at the floor as I walked for the door. "The twins can visit him together and so can Honey and Mori senpai so Tamaki, you come with me." I told him.

While we followed the doctor down the hallway, Tamaki stared at me with a thoughtful expression. "You know." He said. "I can really picture it. You as a Mrs. Kyoya Ootori." My eyes widened, suprised by his words. He continued. "I mean, yeah I really do like you Haruhi. A lot. But it's not like I'm going to force my affections on you." He smiled kindly. "I'm happy for you both."

"Wow... that's the most serious and sincere you thing you've ever said." I couldn't help but be honest. I was touched by his words. Maybe he was growing out of that childish part of himself and taking things more seriously.

"And as long as I get to be your father, I'm fine with anything!" He announced loudly, getting several stares from other people in the hallway. On second thought. Maybe some things never change. I shook my head and linked arms with him.

"You know what senpai? You're just too much sometimes." I said jokingly, earning one of those bright, contagious smiles from him.

When we walked into Kyoya's hospital room, his tired eyes shot open as wide as I've ever seen them. He reached an arm out towards us. "Both of you, over here now."

Shooting past Tamaki, I practically fell right into Kyoya arms. He hugged me with the little strength he had and I finally felt real relief. He was okay. Pulled back, my eyes searched his face, trying to memorize every part of it. "What did the doctors say?"

"The bullet missed all vital organs but it caused a lot of blood loss. After they removed the bullet, I had to get a blood transfusion. I'm fine. I promise."

I grabbed his shoulders again tightly, the glare coming back. "I almost lost you. Do you have any idea how scared I was?" I know it wasn't even remotely his fault that someone decided to try taking out the Ootori family but I couldn't help but feel furious.

He chuckled softly as he ran his fingers through my hair. "I apologize."

I shook my head before hugging him tightly again. We just stayed there like that until someone cleared their throat. "Stop hogging my daughter young man. I don't care if you're going to be my son in law or not, I still have first dibs."

I figured I'd hear that from Tamaki but no. That voice was from my father. Pulling away from Kyoya, I saw my dad standing in the doorway. "What are you doing here dad?"

My dad, all decked out in a little black dress and heels, limped up to us, crutching under each arm. "Well when I saw on the news that someone had gone on a killing spree at the Ootori mansion, I was terrified. And did my daughter answer any of her calls? No! So I drove down to the mansion and nobody would tell me where 'Kyoya's feonce' had gone. So I had to go to the first Ootori hospital I came across and practically threaten the receptionist into telling me where you were."

I sighed, feeling guilty. "Dad, I'm so sorry. I didn't have my phone on me."

He closed the distance between us and hugged me till I couldn't breath. "Don't you ever scare daddy like that again!" When he pulled away he looked at Kyoya. "And my dear boy. Don't you look aweful. Is there anything I can do for you? Perhapse I could have Haruhi make you some soup and bring it by."

"Thank you but I'm alright." Kyoya smiled warmly at me. "But I really am curious. Who's idea was it to tell the hospital that you were my feonce?"

I blushed. "Uh... yeah, well..."

A few minutes of hugs and well wishes later, we had to leave so Hikaru and Kaoru could have their turn. By the time visiting hours were over, I was exhausted. After all of Kyoya's family and all of the hosts had left, I went to check on Kyoya one last time before going home. He was close to sleep when I walked in the room. Regardless, he opened his arms for me. When I got close enough for him to get ahold me, he pulled me down so I'd sit on the bed beside him. He sighed. "I hate hospitals." I murmured.

I laughed. "Funny thing to say considering you wanted to take over a medical business."

He chuckled. "It's all about which side of the fence you're on. I'd rather be the doctor than the patient." Leaning down, I kissed him quickly before getting up.

"You do need sleep though. I'll be back with soup early in the morning. How's that sound?"

He sighed and pulled the cover over his arms. "Alright. Hurry back."

Shutting off the light, I glanced at him one more time before walking down the hall and right out the building.


	26. The End

***SNIFFS* THIS MIGHT REALLY BE THE END. :'( THIS MIGHT BE THE VERY LAST CHAPTER. AND IF IT ISN'T THIS CHAPTER, IT'LL BE THE CHAPTER AFTER THIS. I'LL ALSO INCLUDE A LIST OF CHARACTERS AND WHAT ROLE THEY PLAYED IN THE STORY.**

**PLEASE ENJOY POSSIBLY THE LAST CHAPTER OF 'DEEP WATERS'.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. :P**

Haruhi's POV:

A week later, Kyoya was completely healed and the hospital permitted him to leave. He was more anxious than you can imagine to get out. Even with the extra luxury of his private room and not only being given everything he wanted but also allowed to leave his room at will and help the doctors with various medical questions. When Kyoya and I arrived at his house, the first thing that had to be done was call in Kyoya's father's lawyer to have the will read.

Mr. Hachiro was there to greet us when we made it to the Ootori mansion. Also present was Mrs. Ootori, Jiro, Mrs. Ootori's lawyer, Jiro's lawyer, Kyoya's lawyer and a man in a casual suit standing behind Mr. Hachiro's chair. I felt extremely out of place when Kyoya escorted me into the conference room with everyone. It finally made sense why Kyoya had asked me to come to the hospital in a dress today. I did feel a little relief when Kyoya sat me in the chair between his mother and himself. Mr. Hachiro sat at the head of the table with a folder in front of him. When everyone was comfortably seated, well as comfortable as one could get as one read the last will and testament of Yoshio Ootori, Mr. Hachiro began.

"I want to start by saying how deeply sorry I am for your loss. Before we begin, let me first inform you of the complete story of what happened that night. I have Detective Hayashi with me today to explain." When Mr. Hachiro finished, the man in the casual suit stepped to Mr. Hachiro's side and bowed formally.

Before the detective spoke, Mrs. Ootori took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. I glanced at her. She looked very on edge. She glanced at me, her eyes sad. I gave her a reasuring smile. When we both turned our attention back to the detective, he spoke.

"Mrs. Ootori, the man who shot your husband and your eldest son was a Mr. Yoichi Katsu. He confessed to being paid by someone to eliminate your husband and all three of your sons. The first bullet fired, as the security camera showed, was aimed at Yoshio Ootori. It made direct contact and he died a moment later. Your eldest son, Ichiro, was shot at next. It also made direct contact. By the time Mr. Katsu got around to shooting at your other sons, the Ootori private police force swarmed him. He fired two panicked shots at the stage, his aim off. The first bullet missed your second son, Jiro but the second bullet did hit Kyoya. Because he was not able to properly aim, he did not hit his target. Kyoya is thankfully with us today because Mr. Katsu missed his target. We are unsure of who hired him but we have enough evidence to put Yoichi Katsu behind bars."

The detective bowed formally before stepping back. Mr. Hachiro cleared his throat. "Now for the reading of Yoshio Ootori's last will and testament. As is written, Yoshio's first wish was for his medical company, all smaller businesses and almost all of his fortune to be left to Ichiro. Ichiro's death has eliminated him from taking this and it will be left to the next of kin, Jiro, if he accepts. Also, Mr. Ootori has left a specific section for his remaining children. It reads,

**"For my second son, Jiro, I wish nothing more than for him to retire from the public eye. His declaration of love for the whore he claims to love has shamed me and his wife. I will leave him one hundred million yen to do with as he wishes. He is no longer my son. If he does renounce his love for the whore, he will work as Ichiro's assistant and may go on to own some of my smaller businesses.**

**And to my youngest, Kyoya, I am forever baffled by his actions. I am unsure of what he wished to prove by bringing in a commoner off the street and dubbing her his love interest. I am now and will forever be against it. If he truely wishes to pursue that wretch, than he will do it without my blessing. I also leave him one hundred million yen to do with as he pleases on the chance that he does wish to marry the commoner. I will also never acknowledge him as my son from this day forth. But if Kyoya breaks contact with Haruhi Fugioka, he will also work as Ichiro's assistant and may rise to vice president in my medical company. **

**On the tragic chance that Ichiro is unable to take on the responsibilites I have left for him, the medical company and all smaller businesses will be left to Jiro. If Jiro is unable to do so, Kyoya will recieve the responsibility next."**"

Mr. Hachiro paused after reading the section, taking in the looks on the faces of those at the table. After a long moment, he spoke again. "Because Ichiro has passed away, Jiro will take over the company. What have you to say Jiro?"

Everyone looked at the awkward looking man. His eyes downcast, he sighed. Finally, he rose his eyes so he was looking right at Mr. Hachiro. "With all due respect to my father, I've had enough of following in his footsteps. I am going to take five billion yen to live out my life. I am going to divorce my wife and leave her two hundred million yen in support before going on to marry the love of my life who I will start a life with. I leave everything to my brother, Kyoya. I've already had my lawyer spend the week writing up the documents that need to be signed. Let us be done with it."

A quiet intake of breath from Kyoya told me that he felt overwhelmed. Reaching over, I took his hand that was resting on the armrest of his chair. "With the passing away of my brother," Kyoya said. "My father's wishes are unable to be honored. I'll choose who I want to live out my life with. I am master of the Ootori empire and I accept this responsibility fully. Of course, my home is always open my my brother, his wife and his lover. My mother will continue to stay at the Ootori mansion as long as she wishes and my sister and her family are also always welcome."

Kyoya looked to me, his smile warm. "Let's sign these papers."

And they did. After a few hours of signings and discussion, everyone left, satisfied with the outcome. Even though Kyoya had prepared for this, I had a feeling that he felt very taken by all that's happened. For a long while, we just laid on the bed in his room, our eyes staring at the plain white ceiling. After several minutes of comfortable silence, he turned to me. "What is it that you want Haruhi? Are you still wanting 'the package deal'?"

I brought my gaze to him, our eyes locking. "Yes."

"Is that all?" He smirked, his eyes just a little brighter.

I raised an eyebrow. "What exactly is it that you're asking?"

His smirk stretched into a full blown grin as he lifted himself up and climbed over me. Pinning me to the bed, he leaned down a kissed me deeply. He pulled away quickly, too quickly for me. I pouted, trying to get free of his grip. He leaned over me, his smile much gentler. "I love you. I'm a little suprised by how quickly I've come to grips with it, but it's true nonetheless."

I blushed. "I love you too."

He climbed off me then, taking my hand and pulled me to the edge of the bed so we could sit side by side. "I thought about how to follow through with this for a very long time." He said, earning a confused stare from me. He stared at the wall, his eyes full of emotion. After a moment of deep thought, he turned to me, looking right into my eyes. He smirked. "After all, you are Haruhi and Haruhi hates extravagance. And over the top romance. So how was I to go about this? What would satisfy you without making you upset? So this is what I figured."

Kyoya stood up swiftly and leaned down towards me. Putting a hand under my knees and a hand behind my back, he lifted me into his arms and headed right for the slightly ajar door. "Wait. Kyoya, where are we going?"

He didn't respond. He just walked me down the hall and down the stairs to the back yard, that smirk still in place. We went past the zen garden and down the forest-like path that led to the fork in the road. I gasped. The gate that seperated the uncultivated area was gone. Now there was rows of flowers on a path that led into the woods. He continued to carry me, now taking us down the path. I looked ahead, my eyes wide. They had taken out several trees, light filtering in now. I could see a large white gate blocking off much of the forest. Now there was a large space that had been turned into a garden. A big fountain took up the majority of the space, tables and chairs around it.

"What happened?" I whispered.

"We cultivated." He said simply before sitting me down so I sat on the stone edge of the fountain. He leaned down so we were at eye level. "A little too romantic for your taste?"

I looked around, amazed with it. "Not at all. It's beautiful." Looking back at him, I gave him a serious stare. "Now tell me what you were talking about earlier."

His smirk disapeared, his eyes just a little lighter. He knelt down completely, on one knee... "Haruhi,"

"Kyoya!" I practically shouted, my eyes bugging out of my head. "You've got to be joking."

He sighed, an amused smile threatening to take over his face. "Please Haruhi. Let me have this one."

"But..." I tried to interupt but he leaned up and captured my lips with his, silencing me. He pulled away a moment later, leaving me with a hazy feeling. He reached into the front pocket of his suit coat, producing a glimmering gold ring. The main gem was a large ruby that was surrounded by smaller diamonds. He took my left hand. I think I'm going to faint...

"Yūwaku no megami." He chuckled. I resisted the urge to glare. "You'll forever be a mystery to me. Maybe that's one of the many reasons I have to have you. So that I can spend the rest of my life trying to figure you out. Marry me Haruhi...If you wish." His eyes darkened a shade, making me feel like I was on a stage with thousands of people watching.

"K-Kyoya..." I stuttered. I took a deep, shaky breath. Engaged when I had just turned seventeen? Was this too soon? I was confused. Yet... when I looked into his wide eyes, I could almost imagine it all taking place. Once I graduated of course. I nodded, my face lighting up. "Yes."

**(A/N: Pic of Haruhi's engagement ring is on my profile. Find the link. :p)**

Seeing the smile that took over Kyoya's face just then made it all worth the embarassment. He slid the sparkling ring onto my ring finger before shooting up with me in his arms. "Alright! Come out everyone!" He yelled.

"Huh?"

Just then, Tamaki, Hikaru, Kaoru, Honey senpai, Mori senpai, Mrs. Ootori, Fuyumi and even my dad emerged from behind some trees to the back of the garden. All of them approached at their own face, smiles on each of their faces. Even Tamaki's. He reached me first, his arms locking around me and pulled me away from Kyoya.

"Haruhi! I'm so proud of you! And Kyoya! You better be good to my little girl or I'll kill you!"

"That's my line you filthy boy!" My dad yelled, running ahead of the crowd, using his crutches as propellers. He grabbed me from Tamaki's arms, a hostile glare on his face. He turned to me. "I'm so happy for you Haruhi." He hugged me tight, nearly taking the air from my lungs. I was passed to and fro, getting a hug from each and every person here. When all had congradulated us and promised to keep it a secret until graduation, I was passed back to Kyoya, my *gulp* fiance.

Kyoya pulled me up and placed a kiss on my lips. His eyes were wary. "Are you happy?"

I glanced at all the people that surrounded me. Everyone I cared about was here. I was surrounded by each crazy, overbeat member of my screwed up little family. Turning back to him, I grinned. "Absolutely."

**THE END**

**WOOOOOOW! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? IT'S OVER! AAAAHHH! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING 'DEEP WATERS'. YOU'RE ALL AMAZING FOR STICKING WITH ME THROUGH ILLNESS, TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, EMOTIONAL SICKNESS AND WRITER'S BLOCK TO BOOT! I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH. :) LUV U ALL!**

**~SpiritedChild~**


	27. Deep Waters Characters

**DEEP WATERS CHARACTER NAMES**

**(All characters in this list either appear more than once or are important to the storyline)**

Main Characters In Order Of Appearance:

-Haruhi- Heroine

-Kyoya- Haruhi's love interest

-Tamaki- In love with Haruhi (unrequited)

-Hikaru & Kaoru- Comic relief and also each tried to influence Haruhi's decision between Kyoya and Tamaki

-Honey & Mori- Space filler

Supporting Characters:

-Ranka - Haruhi father, space filler

-Arisu (deceased)- Kyoya was in love with Arisu and was devasted by her death. You find out later that the reason he first showed interest in Haruhi is because of how much she resembled Arisu. Later, Kyoya sees that he loves Haruhi for who she is.

-Yoshio Ootori (deceased)- Kyoya's father, Antagonist (villian) but he plays a very small part until much later

-Mrs. Ootori- Kyoya's mother. A kind woman who loves her children and hopes that Kyoya will marry Haruhi

-Mr. Suzuki- The owner of the bank Kyoya keeps his money at. He is a big supporter of Mr. Ootori so Kyoya is wary of him. He's a very cunning liar and deciever but few can see under his guise, Kyoya being one of them.

-Nori- Nori is sort of a bouncer for Ryo's company. He determines who can and can't go in to see Ryo. He's like an uncle to Kyoya. He's the one who tells Haruhi of Kyoya's troubled past.

-Ryo- He runs his own illegal business selling fake documents (driver's licenses, birth certificates, etc.). He's helped the Ootori family through hardships for the past decade.

-Yuriko- Went to middle school with Haruhi. Yuriko hated Haruhi at first because one of the guys she wanted to date after she finished with her current boyfriend was too friendly with Haruhi.

- Fuyumi- Kyoya's older sister. Fuyumi is disorganized, hyper and very sweet. She also hopes that Kyoya will marry Haruhi.

- Although not important, I'll also add the names of Kyoya's two older brothers:

- Ichiro (deceased) - (name means first son) He is the exact mirror image of his cruel father.

- Jiro- (Name means second son) Was once cruel like his father but has become kinder since he met his current mistress.

**THANK YOU ALL FOR READING 'DEEP WATERS'.**

**IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME THAT YOU ALL STUCK WITH ME. :)**


	28. Want A Sequel

**I'M NOT MAKING ANY PROMISES. ALL I WANT TO KNOW IS, DO YOU OR DO YOU NOT WANT A SEQUEL. I'VE BEEN REALLY CONSIDERING IT AND IF ENOUGH PEOPLE REQUEST IT, I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE A SEQUEL. A LOT OF THE SMALLER ISSUES THAT I LEFT ALONE IN THE FIRST ONE WILL B E BROUGH TO THE FRONT AND CREATE MORE DRAMA FOR OUR FAVORITE OURAN COUPLE. :P BUT NO WORRIES, WITH ALL MY STORIES, THERE IS ALWAYS A HAPPY ENDING. **

**REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW. SEQUEL OR NO?**


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